A Sarah P. Duke Gardens Spring Engagement Session | Courtney + Daniel | 3.12.2022
“All these flowers will be gone in the morning.”
A lady with a black fancy pack fitted to the side, high-waisted sweatpants in the dark green shade of evergreen and a wide-brimmed, khaki hat with a drawstring fitted loosely under her chin, shrugged her shoulders and made a sweeping motion with her walking stick at the fluttering pink and white magnolia blooms surrounding us in the waning light of Sarah P. Duke Gardens on Friday.
I frowned back at her.
Little did she know, I had just driven 7 hours to arrive in Durham, NC minutes earlier just in time to check out this very attraction for Courtney and Dan’s engagement session the next day. The flowers. Spring. New life! A sign of new beginnings, warmth and love. And, this woman was crushing our vision without even knowing it. I gaped at her, lips parted for a moment too long. Realizing she didn’t notice my appalled expression, I gave a wave and walked on, deep in thought pondering this new information.
I was aware there was rain in the forecast and was prepared to move the session to Sunday if needed be. What I wasn’t prepared for was for all the flowers to be gone in the morning. Even I know it takes more than a day for the unopened buds to bloom fresh.
As soon as Marc and I got the kids strapped into their carseats and got the hotel’s address plugged into the GPS, I pulled up the weather. I had been so focused on the weather for the session…rain clearing by the hour…that I hadn’t thought about the freezing conditions beforehand.
Spoiler alert: The flowers didn’t die. The temperature never dipped below freezing that night…even though it got close during their shoot! These two lovely humans withstood almost freezing temperatures for their shoot! Lucky for Courtney, she’s got a great man to keep her warm. These two are going to be there to support each other on the cold days, on the warm ones, long distance and finally together at Duke — and everything in between, forever. And, I couldn’t be happier for them.
They met at Pittsburgh University, withstood a long distance relationship through much schooling until recently when Dan was matched to Duke for his residency for Emergency Medicine close to Courtney’s epidemiology position in Chapel Hill. Some things are meant to be!
They will be married in May back at home at The Manor in Mifflin, PA. I cannot wait to see them again and meet all the wonderful people I’ve heard so much about. It’s going to be an amazing day!
Courtney and Dan, wow you two ROCK. THANK YOU for all the restaurant recommendations. We did make it to Hi-Wire and the Rooster Ice Cream shop (SO good!). I was so impressed with how you made it through almost freezing temperatures on Saturday and I am in love with your photos! I hope you love this little sample of some of my favorites from your Duke Gardens engagement shoot as much as I do. And, because I know how hard it is to wait, there will be a surprise in your inbox later today so don’t forget to check!
XO - Megan
