Josiah + Sydney's Gorgeous End of Summer Engagement Session at Fellows Riverside Gardens & Mill Creek Suspension Bridge on August 23, 2019 by Youngstown Wedding Photographers

A couple of weeks ago, Donny & I met up with Josiah + Sydney in celebration of their engagement & upcoming wedding next year! Although our first attempt to take photos was disrupted by an isolated thunderstorm—that flew under everyones radar and only hit Youngstown apparently haha—our second try was a complete success! The weather was absolutely perfect the second time around and we were able to capture a little magic, while having some fun in the sun with these two love birds! :)

We began our first session at Mill Creek Suspension Bridge, also known as the “Cinderella” Bridge. On this bipolar August day, the weather appeared to be initially great. The sky was slightly overcast, which tends to be best for photos considering it’s very even lighting. We got some great early shots with perfect soft lighting at the bridge, but upon arriving at Fellows Riverside Gardens shortly after this, a random storm quickly approached. We thought about hiding under a pavilion, singing kum ba yah and waiting it out, but it suddenly grew darker, windier, and nastier, and the radar was looking pretty dim, so we packed it up and planned for another day. (Sometimes, you can’t always control these type of situations as photographers, but you deal with them the best you can given the circumstances.) Josiah + Sydney were so sweet and understanding about it, and we planned for the next available storm-free date. This turned out to be a blessing, as the make-up date was even more gorgeous! :)

On our second go round, we picked up where we left off at Fellows Riverside Gardens, one of our go-to local spots given its beauty & variety! Although we use this location often, it tends to look different each time we shoot as new flowers & plants grow and old ones pass. It’s always so stunning, regardless of time of year, but spring & summer are especially gorgeous! It’s the perfect spot in Youngstown for engagement & wedding photos, and Sydney & Josiah were definitely wise to pick it for their engagement session!

Josiah + Sydney were so much fun to work with! They were naturally smiley & comfortable in front of the camera. Both were playful, relaxed, and down to earth, constantly laughing with (and at) one another—focused on the moment, but excited about the future! They also dressed to impress! Sydney’s floral dress was so pretty and worked perfectly for these natural locations, while Josiah was the perfect complement to his lovely bride to be—solid, neutral colors always work, guys! It wasn’t hard making Josiah + Sydney look amazing or capturing the energy they have for each other! They definitely made our jobs very easy, and it was such a pleasure exploring Mill Creek Park with these two, despite the bipolar weather’s best efforts to disrupt our plans haha!

Enjoy some of our favorite moments from Josiah + Sydney’s gorgeous engagement session! :)

This was a candid moment, and sooo cute!! :)

Thanks, again, Josiah + Sydney for choosing us as your wedding & engagement photographers! It was so nice hanging out with you two and grabbing these gorgeous shots in celebration of your engagement!! We’re so excited for your big day next summer! :)