There are some sessions that just feel effortless from start to finish, and Adeline and Aiden’s engagement session was exactly that. Between the dreamy spring blooms, the quiet gardens, and ending the evening at one of my favorite coffee shops in Rochester, this session quickly became one of my favorites to date.

Springtime at the George Eastman Museum is honestly magical, especially when the wisteria is in bloom. The gardens completely transform this time of year, and the soft purple flowers hanging around the pathways create the most romantic backdrop for photos. As someone who went to school in Rochester studying photojournalism, the Eastman Museum has always been one of my favorite places in the city. Not only is it incredibly beautiful, but it’s also one of the oldest photography museums in the world, which makes photographing sessions there feel even more special to me.

When we arrived, we practically had the gardens all to ourselves, which made the entire session feel so peaceful and intimate. We spent the first part of the evening wandering through the gardens and around the mansion, taking photos and getting to know each other better along the way. One of my favorite parts of engagement sessions is that they never feel overly posed or rushed. Instead, it feels more like going on a walk together while documenting all of the in-between moments naturally as they happen. Adeline and Aiden made that so easy. The way they interacted with each other felt completely genuine and effortless, which always makes for the best photographs.

One of the reasons I love photographing at the Eastman Museum so much is because every corner gives you a completely different look. The front of the mansion has such a timeless, elegant feel, while the back gardens feel soft, romantic, and almost European in the springtime. No matter where you turn, it’s beautiful.

Halfway through the session, we switched up the vibe completely and headed to one of my personal favorite spots in Rochester, Cafe Sasso. Lately, I’ve been loving incorporating little coffee shop stops into engagement sessions because it adds so much variety and personality to the final gallery. It’s also such a fun way to slow down, grab a drink, and capture a more candid side of your relationship.

The cozy atmosphere at Cafe Sasso paired perfectly with the romantic garden photos from earlier in the evening. It gave the session a totally different feel and made the gallery feel even more like them. From wandering through the wisteria-covered gardens to sharing coffee together at the end of the night, the entire session felt authentic, relaxed, and full of genuine moments.