These Harkness Memorial State Park engagement photos with Samantha and Daniel were a morning of fun. Capturing your engagement photos at sunrise always curates a beautiful perspective for any location. But especially at Harkness Memorial State Park. Sunrise on the beach is a time when the sand is cold, the landscape is serene, the day is just beginning to awaken, and all is quiet. Furthermore, arriving at sunrise when the beach and the park are free of visitors will give you the freedom to enjoy the feeling of the moment. The moment where it is just the two of you enjoying the solitude but relishing in your engagement.
After first speaking with Samantha over the phone, I have to admit we clicked instantly. We talked for some time and she told me all the details about her and Daniels’s love story. I learned about their professions and their upcoming wedding. When I suggested we meet for sunrise engagement photos, she was open to the idea. The beach at Harkness is known for its sunsets. Nevertheless, I wanted to provide Samantha and Daniel with a different perspective. By experiencing their engagement photos in the sand and on the shore at the time of day when the sun begins to awaken.
In addition to the exquisite beach and gardens featured at Harkness, you’ll also find Eolia. Dating back to the early 1900s, Eolia is a breathtaking mansion that once served as the summer home to Edward & Mary Harkness. Today, the mansion is available for weddings, photoshoots, tours, and private rentals. All in all, experiencing the grounds at Harkness, including Eolia, feels like an otherworld experience. The grounds were renovated and restored to their original grandeur, allowing visitors to be steeped in the grandiose traditions & designs of the Gilded Age.
You can find more details on scheduling your Harkness Memorial State Park engagement photos, here.
Samanta and Daniel’s love is effervescent and shares a fun and playful perspective. They laugh easily, joke with one another frequently, and love each other deeply above all else. They are at ease in each other’s arms and not afraid to show their playful nature. Many times, engagement photos are the first professional photography experience a couple shares. But meeting Samantha and Daniel at Harkness Memorial State Park was an openly joyful occasion free of timid moments. I began their session at Eolia. The goal was to experience the gardens while providing Samantha and Daniel with engagement photos that feature the exquisite architecture of the mansion. The mansion grounds are impeccably maintained, with lush greenery and well-kept shrubs highlighting the stone columns and stairways.
The gardens and grounds of the mansion are magnificent and would have made for enchanting engagement photos on their own. However, we planned to stroll along the beach at Harkness Memorial State Park for engagement photos that showcased a variety of landscapes. Samantha and Daniel ditched their shoes for a jaunt along the water’s edge. The sky began to illuminate with the glow of the rising sun as Samantha and Daniel danced, held hands, and ran along the sandy shores. Samantha and Daniel will be married next year at The Riverhouse at Goodspeed Station in East Haddam, CT. Until then, you can scroll through their Harkness Memorial State Park engagement photos featured below.
