Stephanie + Will | Engagement | University of Notre Dame | South Bend, IN

As we rounded another corner covered in beautiful, ornate architecture, we could tell something "out of the ordinary" was happening. We had recently been told that Notre Dame was still on high COVID alert and that there would hardly be anyone walking around the campus. However, the further we trekked into the campus, the more people we saw! Students and parents walked from building to building and taking pictures with each other. And suddenly, we realized that almost all of the students were wearing caps....and gowns...the kind you wear to commencement. Yes, we accidentally scheduled Stephanie and Will's engagement shoot during Notre Dame's commencement, but ironically, it turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise!

Stephanie and Will's engagement story is actually quite close to ours! After an evening of fun, Will took Stephanie back to the house where decorations and roses were spread all throughout the house, waiting for him to pop the question to his "soon-to-be" fiance! When we heard their story for the first time, we noticed how detail-oriented and thoughtful Will was with his proposal, and as we got to spend time with Stephanie and Will at Notre Dame, we could clearly see that thoughtfulness flow from them in each and every photo. The laughter, the small little jokes they shared between photos, each moment was thought through in a way that gave their engagement session a kind of romantic intentionality that perfectly describes these two!

Since we are normally Michigan-based, coming down to the University of Notre Dame was new territory for us, but we are SO thankful for the opportunity to come down and experience this college's beautiful grounds and iconic architecture. When Stephanie and Will commented on how much they loved the architectural style of the different buildings, we were more than happy to incorporate the beautiful structures into their engagement portraits! Since the Commencement ceremony began right as we were beginning to shoot, a campus that was once filled with people gave way to college grounds that were mostly empty, allowing us to have almost free reign of the campus and the different locations we wanted to shoot at!

Stephanie and Will, thanks so much for being willing to try somewhere new for your engagement photos and being absolutely rockstar models! We loved how you two made the evening fun for each other AND fun for us with your jokes and stories (Still sure how many deer crossed the road...maybe we'll figure that out on the wedding day!) As we get closer to your wedding, remember that there is so much joy in the journey and keep enjoying this beautiful season you are in! See you in September! All our best!

- J + A

All photos are property of Josh and Andrea Photography LLC.