Only 51 pictures in this post. Quite a difference from the 140-some I included in my Best of Weddings post earlier this month. But as many of you probably know or have heard, sometimes less is better. 🙂

I was surprised to discover that I only photographed 11 engagement sessions last year, but one thing that I saw frequently throughout this collection of favorites was the art of being close! I make my couples snuggle and look at each other often, as you’ll see below. For me, an engagement session is all about being close (and I warn my couples of that before we start 🙂 ) to the one you love and creating a real connection for the camera to capture. These couples pretty well nailed it and I’m excited to see what we’ll capture in their 2017 weddings (first up is Carolyn and Ben in February!).

I’m also feeling inspired by this collection of favorites to do a little “session project” that involves people in love actually DOING things instead of standing in a pretty park. I want to go beyond snuggling and looking into each other’s eyes. I want to capture couples having coffee at their favorite coffee shop, cooking dinner in their kitchen, cross-country skiing through the state park…DOING things that makes them “them”, and DOING things that allow them to have fun and feel comfortable together. (If you’re reading this and are engaged or happily married, you might make a good project subject, so holler at me! 🙂 )

Enjoy these lovely favorites! And get ready to see their weddings posted throughout JFP in the coming months!