Britta and Jacob’s snowy, joyful Minnesota engagement session

Hello, friends! Today I get to introduce you to Britta and Jacob and share a few photos from their engagement session. It’s a really fun one -- full of love, happiness, dog cuddles, and Minnesota’s finest snow! 

Britta and Jacob will be getting married in September 2021 and were referred to me by a mutual friend. It’s been so lovely to get to know them! They are really fun, thoughtful, and kind people, and they were so excited about doing an engagement session together. 

Planning Britta and Jacob’s engagement session 

When we began to plan their engagement session, Britta and Jacob shared that they hadn’t had professional photos taken of them together before. They were really looking forward to having pictures that documented them, their relationship, and their life together! 

Britta and Jacob told me that they wanted this session to capture how comfortable they are together, how well-suited they are for each other, and what their life and home are like right now. They wanted their session to feel relaxed, low-key, and true to them as a couple. 

I loved getting to document their home in these portraits. Since the pandemic began, Britta and Jacob bought their first home together (a beautiful condo!) and have been lovingly decorating it with their favorite art and settling into it with their sweet dog, Louis. Other than their parents, they haven't really been able to have any people over to see their new home, so I'm excited that they'll have pictures to show their friends and community how beautiful their home and life is together!  

The engagement session

We started the session at Farmstead Park in South Minneapolis, a super cute park near where Britta and Jacob live. There was fresh snow and bright sun, which created a really happy, sunny-winter-afternoon energy. Britta and Jacob spent some time wandering through the park while I took photos. I loved the light shadows coming through the trees -- it really captured the sense of lightness and joy that Britta and Jacob share together! 

We found a little corner of the park that has beautiful pine trees. Britta and Jacob ducked underneath where there was soft light pouring through the pine needles and curled up together under a cozy blanket they’d brought along. The photos that we captured under the pine trees feel so warm and happy -- I really love these. 

Afterwards, we made our way over to Britta and Jacob’s home. We spent a little bit of time walking around their neighborhood, as they love the streets around their building and adore taking walks together!

We took a couple of cozy pictures on the front stoop of their building and then headed inside to their home.  

I really wanted to capture the feeling of their home and all of the intention that they’ve put into it. I also really wanted to capture Louis in a few photos, as he is a very important member of Britta and Jacob’s family! They let me give sweet Louis a little bit of cheese so that I could become one of his best friends, helping me win him over -- and after that, it was all head scratches and tail wags! 

Britta and Jacob made a couple of mugs of tea and snuggled in with Louis on the couch.

Britta and Jacob have these really soft, gauzy curtains in their living room that make the light so cozy. They stood in front of those windows for a couple of pictures, creating a lovely, silhouetted feel. These photos feel really artsy and special to me! 

After I took a few more photos, they moved over to the dining room table to play a bit of cribbage. These pictures feel super calm and relaxed to me! 

Some of my favorite photos from the session came right at the end. I noticed a beautiful stream of light coming in through Britta and Jacob’s dining room window. They stood together and held each other (and Louis!) while I stepped back to take a few photos. 

I love that these pictures show the beautiful turquoise color of their living room, all of their carefully curated art, and the cool woodwork of their home -- and then there are Britta and Jacob and Louis in the middle, surrounded by all of the beauty they’ve created together. It feels like such a content, quiet celebration of their lives together. 

Britta and Jacob, what a joy it was to spend the afternoon taking these engagement photos together! You are such fun, thoughtful people, and I so enjoyed getting to spend time in nature and in your beautiful new home together. Thank you for trusting me with your engagement session (and Louis, thank you for letting me win you over with cheese!). I'm so happy that I met you two, and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding later this year!