Kristen & Eric’s Divine Park Engagement Session in Spring Lake

I first met Kristen and Eric back in May when Eric was planning his surprise proposal at Bradley Beach! You can see that part of their story in their Bradley Beach proposal, where I got to photograph the surprise before wedding planning had even started.

Then somehow, a few months later, I ran into them AGAIN at Founders Grove Garden Venue right after they had booked their wedding there!

And now here we are at their engagement session!

For their engagement photos, we met at Divine Park in Spring Lake and spent the night walking around the lake, finding hydrangeas EVERYWHERE and (most importantly,) making time for something Kristen and Eric actually love doing together: pickleball.

Which, by some miracle, ALSO had hydrangeas behind the court..

Why Divine Park Worked SO Well for Their Spring Lake Engagement Photos

When I help my couples choose an engagement session location, I’m not just looking for somewhere “pretty.”

I want to know what you actually like.

Are you brewery people? Beach people? Do you spend your weekends finding new restaurants? Are you happiest walking around a cute town with coffee? Do you want to bring your dog? Is there something the two of you are always doing together?

Kristen and Eric gave me a VERY easy answer to that last one: pickleball.

So Divine Park worked perfectly because we didn’t have to choose between the pretty engagement photos and actually incorporating something from their real life. We had the lake, huge trees, walking paths and SO many hydrangeas for their portraits and then they could grab their paddles and do something that actually felt like them.

Give me the beautiful location, obviously. I LOVE pretty photos. But then give me something about the two people actually standing in them!

Making Your Spring Lake Engagement Photos Personal

One of my favorite parts of Kristen and Eric’s session was when the paddles came out! I think this is where couples sometimes overthink engagement photos.

You do NOT have to come up with some elaborate activity just to make your session “unique.” I’m not looking for you to invent a cooler version of your relationship for photos.

If you play pickleball together all the time, let’s play pickleball! If your ideal Saturday morning is walking to your favorite coffee shop, let’s get coffee.

The best ideas usually come from the things you’re already doing when there isn’t a photographer around! Kristen and Eric could play, tease each other, move around and forget about what they were supposed to be doing for the camera for a minute. Meanwhile, I’m still photographing all of it.

If you’re trying to figure out what you could incorporate into your own session, I put together 7 Engagement Photoshoot Ideas to Make Your Session Personal with more ideas.

The Hydrangeas Were Basically Following Us

Okay, we need to talk about the hydrangeas because they deserve their own moment. 😂

We found them around Divine Park and obviously had to stop for photos.

Then we went to play pickleball…

MORE HYDRANGEAS.

I could not have planned that better if I tried.

And that’s another reason I loved Divine Park in Spring Lake for Kristen and Eric’s Spring engagement photos! We could get the more pretty portraits they wanted around the lake and flowers without making the entire session feel like we were moving from one designated “photo spot” to another.

From Eric’s Bradley Beach Proposal to Their Founders Grove Wedding

One of the coolest parts of being a wedding photographer is getting to keep showing up for different pieces of the same couple’s life!

When I met Kristen and Eric, they weren’t even engaged yet.

Eric was planning his proposal at Bradley Beach and I was hiding with my camera waiting for him to ask Kristen to marry him.

Then I randomly ran into them at Founders Grove after they booked their wedding.

Then we met back up in Spring Lake for their engagement photos.

And next time I see them, THEY’RE GETTING MARRIED. 😭

By then, being in front of my camera isn’t some brand-new thing we’re trying to figure out on their wedding day.

They already know me. They know how I give direction. I know more about the two of them and how they interact. We’ve already spent an entire session figuring out what makes them comfortable.

That’s one of the reasons engagement sessions are included in so many of my wedding collections. Yes, you get another set of photos from this season of your life, but we also get to spend actual time together before one of the biggest days we’re going to photograph.

And I LOVE that Kristen and Eric’s story with KAP started before there was even a wedding to plan.

You can see where it started in their Bradley Beach proposal photos here.

Planning Your Own Divine Park Engagement Session in Spring Lake?

If you’re considering Divine Park for your engagement photos, there are plenty of gorgeous areas to work with. The lake, greenery, paths, bridges and flowers can give us a ton of options without needing to spend half your session getting in and out of the car.

But I don’t want you choosing Divine Park, or ANY engagement location, just because you saw someone else’s pretty photos there! 

What would make you say, “Okay, this actually sounds fun” instead of feeling like you’re showing up for an hour-long photoshoot?

If you’re planning your own engagement session in Spring Lake, I want to know the weirdly specific things that make the two of you YOU. Tell me about your favorite bar, your Sunday morning routine, the hobby you’re both obsessed with or the place you somehow end up every weekend.

We can make THAT part of your photos.

If you’re already planning your wedding and want to learn more about what it’s like to work with KAP from engagement photos through the wedding day, you can explore my Wedding Experience or get in touch here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Divine Park a good location for engagement photos?

Yes! Divine Park in Spring Lake has the lake, mature trees, walking paths, bridges, greenery and, depending on the time of year, gorgeous hydrangeas. We were able to create a lot of different photos for Kristen and Eric without spending their engagement session driving between locations.

What should we do during our Spring Lake engagement session?

Start by telling me what you actually enjoy doing together! Kristen and Eric love pickleball, so we worked it into their Divine Park engagement session. For another couple, that could mean bringing your dog, grabbing coffee, heading to the beach or ending the session at your favorite bar. You don’t have to figure out exactly how to turn it into photos. That’s where I come in.

How long should an engagement session at Divine Park be?

It depends on what we’re planning! If we’re staying around Divine Park, we can use different areas around the lake and property throughout the session. If we’re incorporating an activity like Kristen and Eric did or adding another nearby stop, I’ll account for that when we plan your session so we’re not racing from one thing to the next.

Can we include an activity in our engagement photos?

PLEASE DO. Especially if it’s something you actually love doing together. Kristen and Eric brought pickleball paddles because they genuinely play together, not because we were trying to manufacture a cute engagement-photo idea. Those are exactly the kinds of details I want to know when I’m getting to know you before your session.

What should I look for in a Spring Lake engagement photographer?

Look through more than someone’s prettiest engagement photos. Read about how they actually work with their couples. If you’re already worried that you’re awkward in front of the camera, you probably don’t want to hire someone who expects you to arrive knowing how to pose. My KAP couples get direction from me throughout their session, but I also leave room for them to talk, laugh, move and actually spend time together.

Can our engagement session help us prepare for wedding photos?

YES. This is one of the reasons I love having an engagement session with my wedding couples before the wedding day. You’ll already know how I work, how I direct you and what it feels like to be in front of my camera. And I’ll already know more about the two of you. So when the wedding comes, we aren’t meeting for the first time and trying to figure everything out while you’re also trying to GET MARRIED.