When Michelle communicated her desire for natural yet traditional scenery for her and Sean’s engagement portraits, the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden was a definite stop. Aside from familiarity with the venue, I was more excited to go again because this pleasant springtime weather is like sand quickly sinking through an hourglass. The thermometer is about to be popping in the Dallas summer heat that’s approaching, but we caught one of May’s rare cool(er) mornings. 
After a wardrobe change we rode one of the trams that goes through the Arboretum to avoid the longer walk to the opposite end of the park. We weren’t expecting the “tour tram”, but for as often as I visit the Arboretum I didn’t realize how much I didn’t know about the history of the property! There are even gardens managed by Texas A&M University there for botanical and horticulture studies, but these two TCU horned frogs called me out on being the only “Whoop!” on the tram. It’s an Aggie thing.
I laugh to think of what you don’t see in the picture below. Imagine a few elderly garden club members and a large number of elementary school field trips buzzing around, each group in their matching tees. Well, let’s clarify– the garden club members weren’t exactly buzzing like the kiddos were 
… For now, I’d like to believe that Sean said something witty after they were posed and Michelle gave him a nudge for his comment. No need to mention their smiles can probably be attributed to the 7 year olds buzzing and their mothers trying to keep up with them, but I will. I love kids, but in swarms groups, from afar it looked like those poor chaperones were trying to herd cats! I look forward to herding cats someday. Especially the cool cats that play in fountains on field trips.
It had been awhile for each of them since they had visited the Arboretum. Sean’s last memory of being there was getting detention in the 4th grade while on a field trip with Jesuit Preparatory’s lower school (speaking of cool-cat). It stuck with him enough to where he was able to laugh when kids would be literally running around us while we took their portraits. I’m glad we got to walk through a little of the park before they come back this summer to preview a band that they’re considering for their reception. If you’ve never heard of the concerts that the Arboretum has on Tuesday and Thursday nights, you should definitely check them out! You can bring a picnic for dinner and sit in their grass amphitheater, or even dance on the stage area while the band plays! I’m not surprised that Emerald City is long-since sold out for tonight’s performance. They’re performing at the Arboretum again in September though and I definitely hope to be there.
After two loops of the Arboretum we went to lunch at Potbelly in Uptown, and after a mini-tour of the arts district downtown (Have you seen the FOODTRUCKS yet?– they look like a fun future lunch excursion) we went to a park near the Highland Park Town Hall for a less public change of pace. These photos were definitely my personal favorite, simply because there were no distractions around us, and I think it shows. Their smiles aren’t because of a kid falling in the dirt behind behind me, but because of their comfort with each other. They could talk low between the two of them and have genuine alone time. If even just for a minute, that wasn’t possible at the Arboretum today. I have never seen it SO crowded! Photos like this one below are why I love engagement sessions. They are free to show that they’re in love. When everything comes together in an image like this one, when the environment and the moment meet and create a portrait like this, I think of it being one that their children will see on a shelf, dresser or bedside table someday.
Michelle and Sean, thank you for your time today. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know y’all as a pair, and thank you again for treating me to lunch! Potbelly’s oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are on my list of favorite cookies, and I enjoyed each bite while writing this blog post. It was just the right incentive to sit down and write. Michelle, I will definitely be forwarding this to Lauren and am not surprised in the least bit how small the world is that you are doing Speech Pathology with one of my long-time high school friends. Making that connection at lunch was a highlight for me today, second to the guy screaming, “Congratulations!” out of the window of a Tahoe driving past the park by the creek. I don’t know of any other vendor or resource for wedding-details that gets to share such quality time with the bride & groom to-be. I’ll say it again– I love my job.
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