Grade 8 Sweethearts

Sometimes your sixth-grade friends end up becoming the people you get to photograph years later.


I met Sarah and Spencer back in middle school, which still feels a little crazy to think about. They went to the same school as my husband and me, and somewhere along the way, all four of us became friends.

And now, years later, here we are — two couples who met in Grade 6, got together a few years apart, and somehow both ended up getting married.


Sarah and Spencer have been together since Grade 8, and now they’re planning their own wedding. After spending the last few years living across the country, they’re getting ready to make their way back to Alberta — and I was so excited to get to photograph this part of their story.

A close-up of an engaged couple reaching for each other's hands over a grassy field during an engagement session in Calgary, Alberta.

 

Calgary engagement session at

Fish Creek Park

 

An engaged couple raising their joined hands between two trees during a playful engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.

I’ll always have a soft spot for photographing couples in Calgary. It’s where I grew up, and there’s something about being back in the city with the mountains so close that never really gets old.


For Sarah and Spencer’s engagement session, we headed to Fish Creek Park, one of my favourite places for engagement photos in Calgary. What makes Fish Creek so good for sessions is just how much variety you can get without actually having to go very far. We can start in the trees, wander through the open fields, find beautiful pockets of light, and finish somewhere completely different — all within a few minutes of each other.

The result is a gallery that feels like we spent the entire afternoon driving around Calgary to different locations, when really, most of the photos were taken within a short walk of one another.

And honestly, that’s one of my favourite things about a location like Fish Creek. We can take our time, explore, and let the session unfold instead of rushing from one location to the next.

An engaged couple embracing between two trees during an outdoor engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
A close-up of an engaged couple sharing a kiss during golden hour, with warm sunlight behind them in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple sharing a kiss on a wooden footbridge surrounded by trees and greenery in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple embracing in a grassy field during golden hour in Calgary, Alberta, with warm sunset light in the background.
An engaged couple walking hand in hand through tall grass beside a wooden footbridge in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple embracing beside a wooden bridge railing, sharing a quiet moment surrounded by greenery during an engagement session in Ca
A close-up of a couple holding hands outdoors against a grassy background during a couples photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple sharing a kiss in tall grass beside a wooden footbridge during an engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple embracing in a grassy field at sunset, with the bride-to-be lifting one leg during a romantic engagement photography sessi
An engaged couple kissing beneath the trees in warm evening sunlight during an outdoor engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
A couple sharing a quiet, affectionate moment beneath the trees during a black-and-white couples photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple standing together in an open grassy field as the sun sets during an engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple standing beneath a large tree in a grassy field during golden hour in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple standing together beneath a large tree in an open field during a golden hour engagement session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple embracing beside the railing of a wooden footbridge surrounded by greenery during an engagement photography session in Cal
An engaged couple raising their joined hands together between two trees during a playful engagement session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple walking hand in hand through a grassy field during a golden hour engagement session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple kissing beside a wooden footbridge in a peaceful, tree-lined setting in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple walking hand in hand through a grassy field beneath a large tree during a golden hour engagement session in Calgary, Alber
A couple smiling and laughing together beneath the trees during an outdoor couples photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple embracing in tall grass beside a wooden footbridge during an engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
An engaged couple sharing a kiss in a grassy field at sunset during an engagement photography session in Calgary, Alberta.
A couple embracing on the wooden porch of a rustic cabin during a couples photography session in Calgary, Alberta.

My approach to engagement photography is a mix of documentary and editorial — giving you enough direction to create beautiful, intentional photographs while leaving plenty of space for your relationship to come through naturally.