Stan Hywet Fall Engagement Photos | Marise and Philo

Stan Hywet Hall and Gardens feels like stepping back in time. The grand estate and its gardens hold a quiet magic in the fall, and that is where I photographed Marise and Philo on a crisp autumn day, with the leaves just past their peak and still holding their color. The light was soft and golden through the trees, and the air had the slight chill that reminds you autumn will not last.

I wanted their connection to show without forcing it. I gave a little guidance here and there and mostly let them be who they are.

The gardens gave us plenty to use: winding paths, stone archways, ivy-covered walls. Philo wrapped his arms around Marise, she leaned into him, and her laughter filled the quiet. Those are the moments a photographer hopes for, when a couple forgets the camera is there and only the two of them are left.

We moved through the estate slowly and stopped when a place asked us to. The Great Meadow, with its open space and golden light, gave us room to play with movement.

Stan Hywet is one of Ohio’s treasures, for weddings and engagements and for anyone who wants to feel history and nature together. For engagement photography it works well, because the architecture, the gardens, the open spaces, and the quiet corners give every couple a chance to find something that feels like theirs.

As the sun dropped lower we ended near the Birch Tree Allée, where tall trees stood over a carpet of fallen golden leaves. Marise and Philo walked hand in hand through a moment that was both lasting and fleeting.

This session was about who Marise and Philo are, two people in love walking through a changing season and holding on to each other’s warmth. Their wedding is coming, and if it is anything like this day, it will be worth remembering.