It has always been a dream of mine to photograph Claire + Amelia. After their engagement session at Belmont Harbor, that fantasy had become a reality. Everything was so perfect I could’ve pinched myself.

A Perfect Evening

I met up with the girls during a perfect Friday evening in June. Without a cloud in the sky and the temperature at an exquisite 75 degrees, the three of us had nothing but potential. There was even more excitement in the air because we could all finally HUG! The last time I had seen Claire + Amelia was before the pandemic, probably at a bar or a friend’s house. Claire and I met many many years ago when I was a stylist at Madewell and she was our store’s visual associate. I had heard about Amelia back then and continued to get to know them both as time went on.

Their Story

When they met through mutual friends awhile back, it wasn’t love at first sight. They developed a strong friendship that turned into something more as time went on. At the time, Claire didn’t even realize that she could feel this way. “As someone who used to think of myself as totally straight,” Claire says, “I’ve learned through our relationship how little labels ultimately mean to me and any time I use one to describe myself it feels restrictive. You might meet someone tomorrow and question everything!” I couldn’t agree more. Their love is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered. They’re not just best friends– they’re soulmates.

The Proposal

“While we’re usually apart for Christmas traveling to see family,” Claire told me, “we’ve almost always spent Thanksgiving together. I had told Amelia it would be nice to get engaged on a day that is special to us like that (even though getting engaged on a holiday is kind of basic) and this year she proposed! She actually did it at 11:55pm the night before so I would be surprised because I’m a control freak and it’s good for me to not get to plan everything all the time.” I remember seeing their Instagram post when they told the world and I COULDN’T STOP SCREAMING! When I messaged them about it later, Claire said they got engaged only for the attention. If you know these two, you would understand this hysterical sense of humor and that their incredible love is absolutely real.

Sunset by the Water

We decided on doing their engagement session at Belmont Harbor because both Claire + Amelia have enjoyed spending time there. As the pandemic raged through 2020, these two found solace and sunshine at this gorgeous spot not too far from their apartment. Of course, the three of us had too much fun playing around in the light as golden hour showed off. The highlight of the evening was definitely seeing a pup on a paddle board! They came around the corner at the perfect moment and we got SUCH an epic shot with him in the background. We stayed until the sun fell below the horizon and left with wide smiles.

I love you guys and I CANNOT WAIT for your wedding next year! :)