You’ve decided that you want to have a Summer Princeton University Engagement Session! How exciting! The Campus is rather large, so you want to be sure to hire a photographer that is familiar with the location, so you can utilize your time appropriately.

Below are some of my favorite spots at Princeton University, with the beautiful Erica and Joe for their engagement session this past June! We have a wonderful time walking around the campus, exploring and creating beautiful images!

Nassau Hall

The perfect starting point for your Summer Princeton University Engagement Session! I love Nassau Hall because it’s beautiful in all seasons. Below you will see what it looks like in June. This is the front side of Nassau Hall on Nassau Street. Starting here, makes it easy to loop around the campus and end very close to this spot, so you aren’t too far away from your car.

 

 

 

 

Below, it the right side of Nassau Hall. There is this beautiful arch against the building that just frames the soon to be Mr & Mrs so perfectly! I love stopping here to take a quick photo before we continue on our journey through Princeton University!

The back of Nassau Hall is covered in ivy and the symmetry is just gorgeous. This is the perfect location for a wide angle showing off the building and maybe a nice little stroll.

The sun shines through the trees here perfectly!! A Summer Princeton University Engagement session is just so magical.

East Pyne Hall

My next stop is East Pyne Hall! Behind Nassau Hall, to the left. It’s a really fun spot that looks like a castle!

Clio and Whig

After East Pyne Hall, I like to go back to Clio and Whig, which is directly behind Nassau Hall. Now we are kind of making our rounds around the Cannon Green lawn. Once you figure out where you are going, it’s not that difficult to navigate. Clio and Whig are twin buildings that have gorgeously tall columns and the buildings are made of a beautiful white stone. In my opinion, this is such a gorgeous look for a bride to be!

McCosh Hall

A little backtracking here, but I love to head over to McCosh Hall. From Clio and Whig, you walk down Chapel Drive. McCosh Hall is right next to the Chapel. I love McCosh Hall because the doors are old and ornate, the sun shines beautifully here, and the ivy is hugging the building! It feels old here, in a good way. My favorite spot to practice some dancing!

Prospect Gardens

After McCosh Hall, we turn left and pass the Art Museum and go straight for Prospect Gardens. Princeton University does such an amazing job at keeping this garden looking absolutely stunning! The amount of butterflies you will see in June is mesmerizing!

Rockefeller College

The last stop is Rockefeller College. This is probably the most iconic spot at Princeton University aside from Nassau Hall. Not only is it beautiful, but it is also a residence hall. Photographing here in June, July and August is usually not a problem, but when school is in session it’s off limits. Being respectful and understanding that the residence do need their privacy is very important. Keep that in mind when booking the time of your engagement session. Also, we are right back to Nassau Street, so your car should be relatively close!

Helpful Information:

-Check out map of Princeton University so you can map our your engagement session for an easy and wonderful experience!

Planning to propose your partner?

Planning to photograph your proposal is the best gift to your partner!  Click here for some Proposal Inspiration!

About the Photographer:

Lauren Adams of Bokeh Love Photography has been a wedding and portrait photographer in New Jersey for over 13 years! Having photographed hundreds of wedding, she is a seasoned professional who can be a helpful asset to anyone planning their wedding in New Jersey, the Tri-State area or beyond. Lauren is available for local and destination weddings from coast to coast! Click here to view Lauren’s Wedding Portfolio and click here to contact her directly!

 

Gabi and Tim wanted a location that really spoke to them. The have been planning their wedding for a while, and they still have a ways to go! They’re getting married in 2021, but they have their eyes set on having a Rustic Theme. Batsto seemed like the only choice for them for their engagement session. Nothing else was quite as nice. Do you blame them? Batsto is absolutely stunning. I am convinced that it is a place of magic. When they finally decided to have a Rustic Engagement Session at Batsto, I was all on board!

We started walking around the village, chatting and looking at the buildings. It was a quiet day, not many people around, so they were able to feel as if this place was all theirs. Walking hand in hand, snuggling up together, embracing one another and getting goosebumps because they are getting closer to their big day! It’s actually happening, and they’re enjoying their long engagement.

If you are planning a rustic wedding, then you want your engagement session to match your theme. I highly recommend having a Rustic Engagement Session at Batsto. It’s located in Wharton State Forest in New Jersey. On the other side of the village there are beautiful hiking trails, but my heart in truly in love with the village. It’s like falling back in time, and seeing how people lived, how they worked, and provided for their families. It’s deep in history, so make a day of it! If it’s open, stop by the visitors center and check it out!

Alison and Greg had a Scotland Run Golf Club Wedding in Williamstown, NJ! The day could not be more beautiful for the two of them!

Scotland Run is one of my absolute favorite venus. Yes, I know, I say that about so many places, but lets be real here for one moment and talk about the luscious garden they have! Wow. Seriously, I just can’t contain my excitement for this place. It’s like a tropical oasis! It’s no wonder they chose this to be the place they tie the knot! It will forever have a magical place in their hearts.

To see their engagement session in Ocean City, NJ : CLICK HERE

Their day at Scotland Run started off, well, hot. It was a warm day but the sunshine was shining and I couldn’t be happier with these images! Alison looked breathtaking and her dress, that veil, those shoes! It was a photographers dream! She really did find the perfect dress and I am so honored to have been able to capture these memories for her.

If you have been thinking about where to get married and you are local to the area, or don’t mind going to Williamstown, NJ seriously check out having a Scotland Run Golf Club Wedding. The gardens are drop dead gorgeous and you will have the most amazing photos to share with your friends and family, and adorn your walls with!

Alison and Greg, I can’t thank you enough for trusting me with your special day, to capture these beautiful moments and share a glimpse of your lives with me. I am truly honored and love sharing these images with the world! xoxo

It was a fall romance at Caffe Galleria in Lambertville, New Jersey on Tuesday night!

Fabienne and John sipped their delectable cappuccino’s under the covered patio with plush blankets and warm hearts. This quaint cafe, shares special meaning to the two of them, which is why they chose this location to capture this amazing time in their lives. Not only can they see the church they will be married in through the trees from the patio, but they were also engaged here on March 30, 2015 as well! John planned the entire thing perfectly, as if it was out of a movie! Fabienne said that John has a violinist and a pianist play as he sang an Italian art song called “Morgen” (Tomorrow) by Richard Strauss to her (that he translated to English for her of course). If you hadn’t figured it out yet, John is a professional Rossini Tenor who preforms for various opera companies, he teaches private voice lessons AND one heck of a romantic! ::swoon:: They spend quite a bit of time here trying different gelato’s, enjoying the cider, and of course reminiscing about that perfect day!

Before reaching Caffee Galleria, we walked along the colorful path by Lambertville Station. The leaves were bright and gorgeous, and we were all so happy we were able to catch the fall foliage in November (which is totally hit or miss in NJ) ! The weather had it out for us, but rain will not keep us away from capturing these beautiful moments. In fact, I think it made it more romantic. There is no better way to spend a rainy day than snuggling with that special someone wrapped up in a cozy blanket and something warm in a cup!

Fabienne & John, thank you for allowing me to capture these special moments for you! I am looking forward to your amazing wedding in 2016!

“And tomorrow the sun will shine again
and slowly descent silently we will look in each other’s eyes
and upon us will sink the mute silence of happiness”
– Richard Strauss

*Side note: Railroad tracks are very dangerous.
The tracks seen in this blog post are at Lambertville Station, which is not currently running as a station, but rather an Inn, and Restaurant!
Please be safe when thinking of locations for your clients!

One of the first things I get asked after a session is booked, is “What should we wear!” Usually I point them in the direction of pinterest and tell them to start searching for style boards within that season. Sometimes it works out really well, and other times it leaves my clients dazed and confused. I’ve actually had clients show up with quite a few outfits in their car and ask me what they think. Instead of wasting time looking through clothing during a session, I try my very best to let them know what I think would work best for what they’re trying to achieve in their images. The decision to create my own style boards was out of pure frustration because I couldn’t find what I wanted to for my clients to look at. I wanted to put my own sense of style into it, and I wanted it to be branded with my logo, and some of my wording on it to let them know what I was thinking while I put the board together.

Tonight, I decided to look at Baby Gap, Gap Kids, Gap, and Banana Republic. All of these stores are linked together so when you look at them on the Internet, you can flip through each store. They’re also connected to Old Navy, Pepperlime, and Athleta. It’s such a user friendly website and I urge you to go check it out. What I liked about these stores is that I could make boards for babies, little kids, maternity AND engagement without having to do TOO much searching. The cloths are stylish and up to date, fun and funky, and simply adorable. Basically, I’m in love! Also, these things won’t break the bank. They’re perfectly affordable and will make your portraits look like you’ve had a professional stylist!

So without any more delay, check them out! Tell me what you think and if you like a store, and you want me to make some boards with my suggestions, please let me know! I will be more than happy to do so!

Enjoy!

xoxo,
Lauren
Bokeh Love Photography