Spring Seattle Engagement Photos at Volunteer Park & Capitol Hill

I have been meaning to blog this shoot foreverrr and am so happy I’m finally getting to it now – it has to be one of my favorite sessions of all time. If you love all things colorful & bright, the gorgeous spring blooms of the PNW, and couples who let their personalities SHINE in front of the camera, then you’re going to adore M’Bilia & Darren’s springtime Seattle engagement photos at Volunteer Park and Capitol Hill! 

M’Bilia and Darren’s Volunteer Park Engagement Photos

How I connected with this incredible couple

Before I give you all the juicy deets of this gorgeous session, I wanted to mention how I even connected with M’Bilia and Darren in the first place – because we ended up being a perfect match and I am SO grateful we crossed paths. These babes originally reached out to me because they saw that I was part of both the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community, and because M’Bilia is bi herself & both of them are BIPOC, it was important to them to find someone who they could truly relate to. They also wanted to make sure they found someone who would know how to photograph and edit their skin tones the right way, so it was a huge honor getting to be the person they picked! It really meant a lot that we connected over more than just their need for engagement photos – that we got to have meaningful conversations about our lives and the many ways we could understand each other.

Dreamy spring blooms & vibrant colors galore

We actually had to cancel our first scheduled date for their engagement session since they both got sick, but our new date somehow turned out SO much better – the colors at Volunteer Park were absolutely stunning and all the blossoming flowers were simply breathtaking! Seattle was really showing off with this beautiful spring day amidst all the rain we got. With the vibrancy of the spring foliage + blooming flowers, the pink + blue faux fur jacket M’Bilia wore, and the incredible dress she changed into when we made our way to Capitol Hill, I was fucking LIVING for all of the color they incorporated into their photos. M’s bright red dress (from East Meets Dress) even matched D’s tie and pocket square, and they’re actually the outfits that they’ll be wearing for their tea ceremony on their wedding day! I loved the way they let both of their personalities & cultures shine through the entire session. Oh, and we can’t forget about the colorful crystal wall + the Pride crosswalks in Capitol Hill!!

Quintessential Seattle engagement photos at Volunteer Park 

Volunteer Park is a classic Seattle hotspot, especially for photoshoots – so you bet we had to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and spend as much time as we could in the park! Right from the get go, these babes were so ready to just have a blast. They were all smiles, laughs, and love and were down for anything I asked them to do! When I found out that Darren is a rock climber and has an insane amount of core strength, you best believe I made him lift and dip M’Bilia around everywhere, and the resulting photos are so damn cute. 

We spent a ton of time in the grassy area right outside of the Volunteer Park Conservatory (which, by the way, also makes for a fantastic spot for engagement/wedding photos), surrounded by flowers of all colors, from deep reds to pale pinks that went perfectly with M’Bilia’s gorg jacket. And as if if these cuties couldn’t get any more adorable, they popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate and when I tell you I have NEVER seen bigger smiles on anyone, I mean it!! The sun shone through the trees at just the right moment and the photos ended up looking extra magical✨

An evening stroll around Capitol Hill

After we took photos in front of what felt like literally every flower bush in Volunteer Park, M’Bilia and Darren changed into a set of classier outfits that looked absolutely FIRE for the rest of their engagement photos in Capitol Hill. M’Bilia really showed up and showed off with that dress (and that leg slit – so good!), and Darren looked dapper as hell in a pale blue suit + the matching tie and pocket square I mentioned. Can we also just take a moment to gawk at M’Bilia’s JEWELRY?! Those dangly gold earrings and the hairpiece she wore were glistening, sparkling, shining away and brought her outfit to a whole other level. These two knew what the hell they were doing! I still can’t decide what my favorite spot in Capitol Hill was: the crystal wall, the Pride crosswalk they walked along, or the random sidewalk where I had them dip-kiss in front of a brightly-colored neon sign. It was all just too good 🔥

M’Bilia and Darren absolutely killed it with their engagement session and I am SO glad I was able to be a part of it. Manifesting more downtown sessions like this, with people like this, ASAP – if you’re planning your own engagement photos at Volunteer Park or Capitol Hill, let’s chat!

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