The first week of weddings at school had us capturing a mock-wedding at St. Jude’s Church in Waltham; the second had us going back in time, doing things completely out of order, and photographing engaged couples! Our favorite models came back to act in love all over again, but we also had two real life engaged couples, as well. One of these lovely duos was Sadaf and Dan!
Sadaf and Dan are both PhD students at Harvard, so there is a lot of intelligence inside those glamorous clothes! They really dressed up to complement our setting, the historic Commander’s Mansion in Watertown, MA. I couldn’t think of a better place to evoke romance; every room was full of period detail and glorious light.
It really made a difference to shoot actual couples rather than models, not that our models were bad – they were amazing! – but with Sadaf and Dan, you could really feel the love. It was so sweet to photograph.
I so appreciated that Dan and Sadaf came out for the shoot; I had posted a call for couples on Facebook, and an old friend from high school connected me with Sadaf. It was not a normal engagement photo shoot! We had twelve student photographers rotating amongst four couples, moving in and out of rooms in the Mansion, all trying to create our individual visions for our lovebirds. Sadaf and Dan hung in there throughout the madness!
We were able to explore the whole site, so I took them into the Mansion’s kitchen, where Sadaf admitted to Dan being the cook in their relationship!
I loved the entire atmosphere of the Commander’s Mansion so much. I actually looked at it as a potential venue for my own wedding a few years ago, but it was just a bit too small for our guest count, otherwise I would have jumped on it! I cannot wait to show you more of it as I showcase our other couples in future posts.
Thank you so very much, Sadaf and Dan, for letting my class photograph you! You were vivacious and funny and so much fun to shoot. Congrats on your engagement!
Julie Sterling 