I recently had the opportunity to shoot a very special engagement session – actually, a dream session of mine: Engagement photos on a sailboat!
As a Duluth photographer, I’ve photographed couples at all the top Duluth photo shoot locations: Canal Park near the Aerial Lift Bridge, Park Point Beach, Enger Tower Park… but I’ve always dreamed of doing a photo shoot at Barker’s Island Marina! The marina sits in a bay inside Lake Superior in Superior, Wisconsin, just 5 minutes from Duluth, Minnesota. It’s filled with gorgeous white sailboats – the perfect background for elegant images.
The White Dress that Inspired Christa and Alex’s Sailboat Engagement Photos
I finally got my chance to photograph a sailboat engagement session with my clients Christa and Alex. Alex is a lifelong friend of my husband, and I immediately clicked with him and his fiancé Christa.
First up was deciding on a location. Since Christa and Alex are from Minneapolis (or “the Cities,” as us Duluth folk say!), they were unfamiliar with the Duluth area. They told me what they planned to wear for their session, and they trusted me to use their outfits as inspiration to pick the perfect location for their engagement session.
When I found out Christa wanted to wear a white dress for her engagement photos, I knew we had to go to the boat launch! I could already picture a dreamy, romantic sailboat session for their engagement shoot. Christa and Alex loved the idea, so we did it!
To say I am grateful for clients who put all their trust in me is an understatement! My best work comes when my clients trust in my creativity.
Surprise at the Marina
When we arrived the marina, I got a ton of gorgeous images of the couple with the sailboats in the background. The only thing that could make these images better would be having access to a sailboat for them to use – which of course, we didn’t. I was super bummed.
But while we were taking photos, a very kind man walked past us to get to his boat. We started up a casual conversation, one thing led to another, and… he offered to let us take photos on his boat!!! How freaking incredible is that!
Without any hesitation, Christa and Alex said “YES!” and climbed into the boat. Just like that, I was able to capture these stunning sailboat engagement photos!
I am so grateful to this generous stranger. We found out that he and his wife have been happily married for 20+ years. He was so touched seeing Christa and Alex’s love that he offered some meaningful advice for the engaged couple. It was an experience I’ll never forget!
