This session was so, so much fun! I had actually never been to Benicia before, but may just have to make it a point to visit more often now… With quaint shops, beautiful parks, and breathtaking views of the Carquinez Bridge, Benicia certainly has plenty of historic charm! Add to that list that the couple grew up in Benicia too and we had the perfect place for their engagement session!! We started out at the Union Hotel – a very charming bed & breakfast hotel with quite an interesting history as well…!
I really can’t say enough good things about this couple. Samantha started with some great ideas for the theme of their engagement – choosing the hotel and communicating their vision as well. And let me just say that Samantha certainly knows her fashion! Her outfits were absolutely amazing! She even wore her mother’s beautiful wedding gown with intricate lace and coupled it with a gorgeous parasol and veil. It looked simply stunning! Both of them looked fabulous! We had a blast throughout and I could tell that they are madly in love with each other. Once you take a look at the photographs, you’ll know too!
Thank you both for an amazing session (and a special thanks to the mother of the bride-to-be for her wonderful assistance!)! I literally could have posted hundreds here there were so many breathtaking images. You make such a lovely couple! Enjoy your sneak peek and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding!
I so love the boots and parasol to accompany her mother’s beautiful vintage-style wedding gown!
It was a bit cold, but the sky was just beautiful with the fluffy clouds and then the Carquinez Bridge looming in the distance…
They both look absolutely amazing!
We actually started with a little putt-putt golf in the hotel room!
James!!! You are amazing! You captured my daughter’s spirit and her fiance’s charm so brilliantly!!! I love all of them! How Samantha and Pat will ever choose one for their “Save the Date” I do not know. I am sure it is common for Moms to tear up as they view their child’s engagement photos for the first time. I joined the club and probably set the bar for the number of times I went back to your site and cried again!
To anyone reading this and wondering if James is the photographer for you – the answer is YES! He was tireless, full of enthusiasm and paid attention to every detail. I litterally had to make him stop and eat a bite of a sandwich after hours of shooting. He is a crazed professional!
Can’t wait to see more and then THE WEDDING!
Sammy’s Mom (and part time styist/photo assistant – ha!)
Thank you so much for the heartfelt comments Nanette! They really do make a beautiful couple and I loved working with all of you!
Thank you for encouraging me to eat – I do tend to get into the “zone” so to speak and forget about those things when I’m having so much fun! =]
Best wishes and looking forward to seeing you at the wedding!
What beautiful pictures .. Sam you look gorgeous as always .. its always wonderful doing your hair.. I’m glad it looked amazing for your shoot!!
Sam these photos are amazing!!!! Ill have to contact James when its my turn! I cant wait to see more! You and Pat are perfect!
James, they look awesome! I have to admit, the engagement photos were certainly not something I was looking forward to, but after seeing these, I am amazed! They are awesome, and I feel like I’m staring at a magazine on my coffee table when I look at some of them. Samantha did an excellent job of choosing the right photographer, and you captured everything she was after! I couldn’t ask for anything better, and I know she can’t either! The pictures are beautiful, and you have made my fiance feel like the princess she is….which makes me the happiest guy around! Thanks for all your time, help, and effort. I am looking foward to seeing the wedding photographs (which for me is a shocker!)
Those are simply BEAUTIFUL!!! I would expect to see these in a magazine but then again I’ve always thought Samanta should be a model!! π I really like how you captured the personalities and the love between the two of them in our small town!!! Great job!! But I do have to agree with Sam’s mom they will have a tuff time picking a save the date!! π
ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!
The photographs! The couple! The settings! I’m just in awe of how flawless these photographs are. Each one was an absolute treat! Thank you for sharing π
Wow those pictures are astonishing. Samm and Pat you both look amazing. I love you guys and cannot wait to be a part of your special day. Those pictures could easily be featured in a magazine.
Wrap ’em up! Each and every single one of them! Dramatic! Pithy! Joyous! And just plain fun! Congratulations on capturing the essence of both Sam and Pat! Simply delicious!
Cecile
These are breathtakingly beautiful photos !!
These are completely amazing! They are original and passionate and full of love. I can’t wait to see these framed all over your new house. They are just perfect π
Some of the greatest pictures I’ve ever seen! Love them all! Sammy and Pat look awesome! We need a photographer like James for our wedding in Colorado!
Samantha– these pictures are amazing beyond belief. You are so gorgeous and Pat is VERY handsome. You are so smart to have done these when you are young! What an amazing memory to look back on your love for each other when it was fresh and young…Cheryl
Thank you all so much for the wonderful comments! I’m so glad I had the opportunity to capture this incredibly joyful time in their lives and we’re super excited for the wedding, that’s for sure! Lisa M., I can travel too! And I’ve always wanted to visit Colorado…! =]
Absolutely gorgeous!!!! Thank you for sharing.
Lovely photos Sam! I can’t wait to meet ya.
This is your mom’s favorite F & B!
Love,
Frishtah.
Great photos Sam! I wish you both the very best.
This is your mom’s favorite F & B!!!
Love,
Frishtah
Wow! These are treasures!
Great photos. Your both hired for my next product release! Blessings to you both.
Excellent job capturing the how happy Sammy and Pat are. Great job.
Awsome photogrphy, very soft and romantic. Love the country theme. We need someone like you for our wedding in September here in Colorado.
The pictures are absolutely beautiful! The love between Sammy and Pat were captured perfectly! Can’t wait to see the pictures in their new home!
These are great photos, I have never seen such fun and relaxed engagement photos that allow people to just look so relaxed and entertain at the same time.
You did a fantastic job James! The engagement pictures of Samantha and Pat are beautiful! I can’t wait to see the photos of the wedding. No doubt you will capture the love and happiness that these two share on that day too.
Oh Sam, these are absolutely lovely! You will be a stunning bride and a handsome couple.
BTW, your skin looks fantastic and the boots are the best ο
Thank you for including me, they put a big smile on my face!
All I can say is gorgeous!
Wow!! My breath was taken away with Sammy’s beauty and radiant glow! Pat’s handsome steamy smoldering looks of love for our girl completed the whole package! I can’t wait to see the wedding pics, James! What a photographic talent capturing these two precious lovebirds! Best engagement photos by far–and with 23 and 26 year old daughters who have been bridesmaids multiple times–we have seen quite a few!!! Thanks for sharing! Chris ( Charlie’s godmomma–he should employ your vast talents when his time comes down the aisle–hint hint!)
WOW! Absolutely LOVELY! But then, Sammy is a Robinson! Best wishes for a lifetime of love and happiness…..your Mom’s high school friend!
[…] first met this lovely couple last fall when I photographed their engagement session (click here to see those gorgeous images where Samantha wore her Mother’s wedding gown!). It’s hard […]