Christine & Stephen’s Coolidge Corner Engagement

I think I’m getting a little tired of saying how weird things are. It’s starting to feel like a cliché. But that doesn’t mean it’s not true… Maybe that’s why it felt good (and slightly strange) to get back to something that I really love to do – photographing an engagement session.

On Sunday afternoon, Christine, Stephen, and I walked through Brookline’s quiet, tree-lined streets from Washington Square to the Brookline Reservoir. It’s a meaningful place because Christine & Stephen both lived there separately, long before they ever met.

I find it so romantic to think of, say, chasing your childhood dog down the sidewalk, never even thinking that some years later, your future partner will be walking that same sidewalk on her way to work. It reminds me of that Ben Folds song. And last weekend, things came full circle as they walked those shared streets together, talking about their life and plans and wedding day.

Christine & Stephen have a quiet connectedness. I can imagine them sitting in the corner of a crowded brewery, slowly sipping their beers, absorbed in conversation, oblivious to the hubbub around them. That’s the sweet, mellow energy I saw on Sunday, but I’ve heard there’s another side… One where they love to tear up the dance floor! I’m excited to see that wilder vibe emerge at their wedding next year.

We reached the Brookline Reservoir Park just as the sun was dipping toward the trees. The warm glow kissed their skin as they held hands and watched the sunset. And for a moment, the masked passersby faded into the background. And it wasn’t strange. It wasn’t Covid. It was their moment. And it was lovely.