This session was shot by GMP founder and Principal Photographer Elizabeth Millar
Joel proposed to Jennifer at Leu Gardens and then we did their engagement session
It can be difficult to get golden hour photos at Leu Gardens since they close at 5pm. The only way this can be accomplished is to do a 1-hour session from 4-5pm during the late autumn or winter when sunset is around 5:30.
This is how Joel was able to plan his proposal to Jennifer to happen during golden hour at Leu Gardens. Joel proposed in the Idea Garden at 4pm and we shot until 5.
The rose garden was closed for a wedding so we were unable to shoot there but the real show-stopping moment was when we turned the corner to the tree-lined path behind the rose garden to find that they had hung chandeliers in the trees in preparation for the Dazzling Nights holiday event that’s been taking place at Leu Gardens since 2019.
Not only had they hung the chandeliers, they were testing them out and they were fully lit. I returned for another shoot the next day and they weren’t lit (they won’t be until Dazzling Nights begins) so I know this was a special little gift from the universe just for Joel and Jennifer.
Another stunning surprise was that, for the first time after doing dozens of proposals, weddings, engagement and family sessions at Leu Gardens for the last 8 years, I found a new spot I had never noticed before next to a fern-covered tree that has the softest, most glowing and diffused light during golden hour. This was the perfect end to our time together and I wish Joel and Jennifer all the best for their adventure ahead!
