For busy educators Monica and Matt, finding time for an engagement session meant finding time in two very full schedules—and turning it into an excuse for an extra nice date night.

We spent the evening exploring Fort Worth’s Mule Alley, wandering through the Stockyards, and eventually settling in for a drink at Hotel Drover. Along the way, there was plenty of laughter, a little bit of getting used to being in front of the camera, and lots of time simply enjoying being together.

And that is exactly what we love about engagement sessions. They are about more than creating beautiful photographs before the wedding day. They give us the chance to get to know our couples, discover the little things that make them laugh, and help them feel completely comfortable with us—and with the camera—before everyone arrives to celebrate.

By the end of the evening, what started as one more thing to squeeze into a busy week felt much more like what it was meant to be: a really good date night with the person you love.

And it was the perfect beginning to the wedding celebration that followed. Monica and Matt’s wedding brought together two very different Fort Worth experiences—a beautiful, meaningful ceremony at St. Patrick Cathedral followed by a wonderfully fun celebration at the Fort Worth Zoo. But before all of that, there was this evening: the two of them, a little time together, and plenty of reasons to laugh.

Photographed by Jennifer