This spring I had the opportunity to photograph Danielle and Tim—friends I know from church, Keystone North. This was my first time photographing during the short window when the Fairmount Park Cherry Blossoms are in bloom in Philadelphia. I’ve photographed a lot of sessions in the Cherry Blossoms at Central Park in NYC when we lived in NY, but they bloom about a week to two weeks earlier in Philadelphia. With the rainy weather this year, it was even trickier to know exactly how long the blossoms would last. Dani and I stayed on top of the weather forecast and hoped for the best when we selected the day. Thankfully we caught them right before they disappeared for the season.

The session took place on a chilly, overcast day with temperatures around 50 degrees. We had gone back and forth picking out the perfect outfits for her and Tim and while it wasn’t exactly ideal weather for spring outfits, Dani was a champ in and pushed through the cold in the cutest white dress. Despite the gray skies, the soft light created by the cloud cover worked in our favor, giving the photos a clean and even tone without harsh shadows.

We shot along the popular row of cherry trees across from the Centennial Arboretum—a well-known spot in Fairmount Park that becomes a favorite photo location each April. These trees, originally planted as part of a long-standing friendship between the U.S. and Japan, line the path in a way that creates a beautiful natural frame. We also made use of the nearby stone gazebo, which added some texture and architecture.

Look at all those Cherry Blossoms and how cute Dani + Tim are! I was in photographer heaven photographing this session!

Danielle + Tim were the perfect couple for this session! Dani had the exact vision for their clothes as I did, the perfect amount of classic and romantic.

I love when I find hearts scattered throughout nature. I don’t love that the tree had to loose a branch, but I love that it left a heart!

I was excited when I found this stone gazebo. The architecture itself is stunning and then add the Cherry Blossom trees in the background and it’s just dreamy!

To mix things up, we ended the session at the Ohio House. It was built for the 1876 Centennial Exposition and is one of the few remaining structures from that event. I always love to include architecture in my photography and its stonework and historic architecture provided a nice contrast to the soft blossoms.

By the end of the session Tim had perfected dipping and kissing Dani!

I’m just in love with these pictures! Despite the chill, I’m glad we were able to make the most of the Fairmount Park Cherry Blossoms while they were still around. Who’s in for a cherry blossom session next year?!?