Ana & Ryan—these two are so in love! They have a playful love that all couples should have! When I mentioned a sunrise session to Ana she was ALL ABOUT IT, and I love that. When couples are down to do whatever it takes to get good images…that’s when I know they’re my people!

Ana mentioned that she would really like some cherry blossom shots, but unfortunately, the Tidal Basin was closed due to COVID-19, so that option was out! I searched and searched other places with cherry blossoms and finally one of my photographer friends (shout out to Kassie!!) mentioned Van Gogh Bridge in Reston, Virginia. I had never heard of it, but decided to check it out. When I Googled the location it seemed lush with a large cluster of cherry blossoms…which, technically, I guess it is.

However, when I showed up a little early (yes, earlier than sunrise) to scout it out…most of those cherry blossom trees were on private property and were 100% inaccessible. So we worked with what we had—one accessible cherry blossom tree! We created variety throughout the entire session using different angles of them and the tree to make for some beautiful engagement portraits.

We were also extremely lucky that the light was gorgeous that morning!! The sun was perfectly diffused between some dense fog and clouds that lay right on top of the water that morning.

But enough about the setting—let’s get to Ana & Ryan! Like I said—these two are so in love. Ryan is a police officer and Ana is a nanny for a local family. They have hearts for service, which is clear by interacting with them. Ana was chilly at one point (it was sunrise and a crisp morning) and Ryan pulled out a blanket to wrap around her to keep her warm…so, so sweet.

They are one of the many couples whose wedding has been affected by COVID-19, and they have unfortunately had to postpone it from their original June 20th date. That’s okay though—LOVE ISN’T CANCELLED!! And they will be re-scheduling their wedding to a date when everyone can safely attend their big day. I can’t WAIT for the celebration with these two and their families!