Branch Brook Park Spring Engagement Session | Melanie + Shawn

Branch Brook Park | Newark, NJ

Branch Brook Park was perfect for Melanie and Shawn’s spring engagement session. They hoped for a light, garden-inspired feel filled with pink blooms and fresh greenery. The sun was shining (not always a guarantee with these April showers we’ve been having) and the light was perfectly glowy just in time for their sunset session. 

After catching up on wedding planning, we dove right into portraits. We found a quiet spot in the park tucked away from some busier areas so they could feel relaxed and let their genuine smiles and personalities shine through. 

So many of my couples share how nervous they are for their portraits since, for many, it is typically their first time having professional pictures taken and they don’t know how to pose (“but what do I do with my arms?!”) and rest assured, when we’re working together, I will guide you every step of the way. Melanie and Shawn expressed feeling a little nervous for their session, so as we started, I walked them through each pose and prompt. They quickly got the hang of it and by the end of their session, they barely needed any instruction!

How They Met

Melanie had officially sworn off dating apps. That was until one boring afternoon in June 2020 when she redownloaded Hinge “just for the day.” She set her radius to only 10 miles (she wasn’t doing long distance ever again), threw up a cheeky answer about Carole Baskin on her profile, and started swiping.

She didn’t look too carefully at profiles, this was more for fun than anything serious, but somehow she matched with Shawn, whose profile was all about baseball and the Yankees (something Melanie couldn’t care less about). But his message made her laugh, so Melanie gave him her number, intrigued by his sense of humor.

It turns out that Shawn had forgotten to update his location after moving to Oak Ridge, which was a bit outside her 10-mile range. If he had, the algorithm wouldn’t have connected them. But it did. And even though they both almost canceled their first date walk around Packanack Lake during the peak of COVID shutdowns, they showed up anyway. That day, they talked like they’d known each other for years. There was an ease between them. They had a deep conversation, shared quirks, and even the fun coincidence that their sisters share the same birthday. From that moment on, things just clicked.

The Proposal

Fast forward a few years, and Melanie and Shawn had done over ten escape rooms together (they’ve lost count of the exact number!). So when it came time to propose, Shawn knew an escape room proposal would be the perfect fit, even though it was a bit complicated to pull off.

Melanie, who had been very ready to get engaged, may have peeked in Shawn’s safety deposit box and discovered he had the ring, a diamond from her late grandmother that they’d designed together. So when her mom said she’d won a gift card to an escape room and pizza place, and casually mentioned Shawn’s parents would be joining, Melanie had a hunch.

But things didn’t go exactly how she imagined. Shawn was unusually calm that morning (too calm, which made her doubt herself), and when she heard they were going to a restaurant with no gluten-free options afterward, she figured there was no way this was the day. At the escape room, she lost hope… until the final clue involved a claw machine, her favorite!

When she won a plushie on the first try, she noticed a note tied to it. At first, she thought it was just another game clue until she saw Shawn’s handwriting. She couldn’t hold back the tears. As she read his letter, Shawn got down on one knee. The moment was heartfelt, personal, and completely them in so many ways. The entire proposal was captured on video, and yes, she still re-watches it. How sweet is that!

Their Branch Brook Park Spring Engagement Session

During peak cherry blossom season, we met on a warm spring afternoon at Branch Brook Park. It was one of those perfect April days where the sun was glowing, the blossoms were in full bloom, and these two showed up ready to have fun together.

Melanie and Shawn were laughing within the first few minutes. That same spark from their first date was so clear in how they interacted: teasing each other, joking around, and constantly smiling. They were up for anything: dancing under the trees, lifts and twirls, and lots of kisses, all while enjoying the moment together.

There’s a kind of ease between them. You can tell they’re friends first, always down to make each other laugh, and never afraid to be a little silly.

Their Summer Wedding at Stone House at Stirling Ridge

These two love a cozy weekend on the couch binge-watching their latest show, but they’re also always down for something fun like Dave & Buster’s, escape rooms, and trips to Six Flags. Melanie brings a childlike joy to everything they do, and that’s exactly what Shawn loves most about her. She brings out his playful side. He makes her laugh with their constant banter; what others might mistake as bickering is their own little love language.

Melanie says being engaged feels like holding the golden ticket to a future of lifetime happiness. She is excited to experience every single beautiful moment of their wedding day: getting ready with her bridesmaids, her first look with Shawn (she has been dying to show him her dress!), their ceremony and to hear Shawn’s vows, for all the dancing and fun with friends and family, and for the moment at the end of the night when the two of them just get to soak it all in. And even though Shawn says he doesn’t love being the center of attention, he loves seeing Melanie get so excited about the big day, and he’s looking forward to celebrating their love with family and friends this summer.

Melanie and Shawn’s love story is full of tiny twists of fate, shared giggles, and childlike joy, and I cannot wait to celebrate it all with them on their wedding day this July at the Stone House at Stirling Ridge!