Some engagement sessions are just about the couple.
And then there are sessions like Anvitha and Ed’s, where the experience becomes about something even bigger.
Their engagement session at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC was beautiful in all the ways you hope for: an early morning start, classic DC architecture, quiet pockets of light, and a couple who was willing to walk, laugh, trust us, and settle into the experience before their wedding weekend arrives.
But what made this session especially memorable for us was not only the location.
It was the family.
Both sides of their parents came with them.
And I have to say, I absolutely loved it.
We took a few photos of everyone together at the beginning, giving them a small but meaningful memory from this season. Then, while we spent time photographing Anvitha and Ed, their parents went off and spent time together.
Bonding.
Talking.
Walking.
Sharing space before the wedding weekend.
And honestly, I wish we saw more of that.
Why Parents at an Engagement Session Can Be So Meaningful
Most couples think of their engagement session as something just for the two of them.
And of course, it is.
The engagement session gives us time to get to know the couple, understand how they photograph together, help them feel comfortable in front of the camera, and build trust before the wedding day.
But there is something really special about parents being part of the experience too.
Not necessarily for the entire session.
Not in a way that makes the couple feel watched or overwhelmed.
But as part of the beginning.
A few family photos.
A few introductions.
A little time together before the wedding weekend comes with all of its timelines, events, emotions, and expectations.
For South Asian, Indian American, multicultural, and fusion weddings especially, parents are not background characters.
They are part of the story.
They are often deeply involved in the planning, the traditions, the decisions, the emotions, and the meaning behind the celebration. They are carrying memories, hopes, cultural expectations, family pride, and sometimes a lot more stress than anyone realizes.
So when parents come to the engagement session, even briefly, it gives everyone a chance to breathe together before the wedding.
It gives us a chance to know them.
And it gives them a chance to know us.
That matters.
A Morning at the Lincoln Memorial
Anvitha and Ed’s session started early at the Lincoln Memorial, which is exactly how we prefer to photograph in Washington DC whenever possible.
DC can be unpredictable.
Crowds, construction, rain, security changes, parking, blocked access, and tourists can all change the feel of a session very quickly. That is why we always encourage couples to choose a realistic plan instead of trying to do too much.
Originally, Anvitha and Ed were considering multiple locations and outfit changes. They were thinking through Indian outfits, western outfits, the Tidal Basin, the Lincoln Memorial, and other nearby options. And I loved the thoughtfulness behind it.
But this is where experience comes in.
As beautiful as Washington DC is, it is not always easy to move around quickly. What looks close on a map can take much longer in real life, especially when you factor in walking, changing, parking, weather, and the flow of the session.
So we guided them toward keeping the session centered around the Lincoln Memorial and the surrounding area, with Constitution Gardens as part of the walkable plan.
And it worked beautifully.
The session felt calm, connected, and unrushed, which is always the goal.
Why We Do Not Want Engagement Sessions to Feel Rushed
One of the things we told Anvitha during planning is that most engagement sessions last about one to one and a half hours, but we ask couples to block off two hours so they do not feel rushed.
That is intentional.
Because engagement sessions are not just about getting through a shot list.
They are about learning.
We are learning how the couple moves together.
They are learning how we guide.
We are learning what makes them laugh, what feels natural, what needs a little extra direction, and how to create images that feel polished without making them feel stiff.
The couple is also learning that they do not have to guess.
They do not have to perform.
They do not have to know what to do with their hands or where to look every second.
That is our job.
We prompt.
We adjust.
We tweak.
We watch.
We capture.
And little by little, the couple starts to relax.
That time matters before the wedding day.
Because once the wedding weekend arrives, everything moves faster. There are more people, more opinions, more emotions, more logistics, more family members, and more moments happening all at once.
The engagement session gives us a quieter place to begin.
Getting to Know Both Families
One of the greatest gifts of this session was getting to spend time not only with Anvitha and Ed, but also with both sides of their families.
That is not something we take lightly.
When we meet parents before the wedding, we begin to understand the family dynamic in a way that helps us serve everyone better later. We see how people interact. We learn names, faces, personalities, and energy. We start to understand who is warm and expressive, who is quieter, who may need a little more guidance, and who carries emotional weight in the family.
This is incredibly helpful going into a wedding weekend.
Especially for weddings where both families are coming together across cultures, traditions, or backgrounds.
The more familiar we are with the people who matter most, the better we can photograph the story as a whole.
That is why I loved seeing Anvitha and Ed’s parents spend time together.
It felt like a small glimpse into something I hope we see more often.
Families not just meeting because the wedding requires it.
But spending time together because they are becoming connected.
I Hope More Couples Invite Their Parents In
I really do hope more of our couples consider inviting their parents to be part of the engagement session experience.
Not the whole thing, necessarily.
You still deserve time as a couple.
You still deserve portraits that feel romantic, relaxed, and focused on the two of you.
But bringing parents for the beginning or end of the session can be so meaningful.
A few portraits together.
A few minutes to meet us.
A chance for both sides to feel included before the wedding weekend.
A chance for parents to step into the experience, instead of only arriving on the wedding day when everything is already moving.
I think we are going to see more of this in the future.
And I hope we do.
Because weddings are not only about two people.
They are about families.
They are about the people who raised you, supported you, prayed for you, worried over you, celebrated you, and now have to learn how to share this next chapter with another family.
That is a big thing.
And it deserves space.
Anvitha and Ed
After we spent a little time with everyone, we were able to focus on Anvitha and Ed.
And they were wonderful.
There is always a little warm-up period at the beginning of any engagement session. That is normal. Most people do not spend their everyday lives being photographed professionally, so it takes a few minutes to settle in.
But once they did, the images began to feel easy.
Soft.
Connected.
Joyful.
Their session gave us a chance to see how they are together, how they respond to direction, and how naturally they fit into each other’s space.
That is exactly what we want before the wedding.
Not perfection.
Familiarity.
Comfort.
Trust.
And this session gave us all of that.
The Engagement Session Is the Warm-Up
When Anvitha later wrote to say they loved the images and were happy with how everything turned out, I told them this was simply the warm-up.
And I meant that.
The engagement session is the beginning.
The wedding weekend is where the story fully opens.
By then, we will not be walking in as strangers. We will already know Anvitha and Ed a little better. We will have spent time with their parents. We will have watched both sides interact. We will have shared a morning together in DC before the celebration, before the timeline, before the ceremony, before the family photos, before all of the beautiful chaos that makes a wedding weekend what it is.
That is a gift.
And it is one of the reasons we believe engagement sessions are so important.
They are not just pretty photos before the wedding.
They are part of the relationship.
Anvitha and Ed, Thank You
Anvitha and Ed, thank you for spending such a beautiful morning with us at the Lincoln Memorial.
Thank you for trusting us with the planning, the timing, the location, and the flow of the session.
Thank you for bringing your parents along and allowing us to spend time with both sides before the wedding weekend.
We loved getting to know everyone.
We loved seeing your families connect.
And we especially loved watching your parents take that time together while we photographed the two of you.
It was such a small thing, but it felt really special.
We are so excited for your wedding weekend and all the family celebrations to come. This session was a beautiful beginning, and we cannot wait to see the full story unfold.
Planning Your Engagement Session?
If you are planning your engagement session, here is something to consider:
Invite your parents.
Not because they need to be part of every photo.
Not because the session should become a family formal session.
But because this season belongs to them too.
Let them come for a few minutes.
Let us take a couple of photographs together.
Let them meet us before the wedding weekend.
Let both sides have a little time to connect, walk, talk, and begin becoming family before the wedding day arrives.
You may be surprised by how meaningful it feels.
And years from now, those few photos may matter more than you realize.
Because the wedding is not only about the couple.
It is about the families becoming part of the same story.
And we love documenting that from the very beginning.
