Mindy and Kyle had the best idea for their engagement photos and it was such a blast to photograph! It was also the very last session I had before Tarrant county issued shelter in place orders. So i’m holding onto this downtown Fort Worth engagement session extra tight!

When Mindy first reached out in January, she was so excited to tell me all about the downtown Fort Worth wedding they had planned for later in the year. She couldn’t stop raving about their intimate Sundance Square wedding plans. We talked for almost an hour about how the downtown Fort Worth area is so special to her and Kyle. Mindy lives in the area and Kyle is a fire fighter in a downtown area of DFW. We also talk about the best ideas for their engagement photos. Spoiler alert, we had a lot of them!

After hearing all about these two, it was a no brainer where we should do their engagement session! Mindy had the idea to start the engagement photos at the old fire station in downtown Fort Worth. And I had the idea to end the session on top of one of my favorite parking garages at sunset! Mindy also thought it would be a cute idea to wear red in their photos since Kyle is a firefighter!

I love how much thought was put into the ideas for this engagement session. Mindy had everything planned down to the smallest details and it was such a joy to capture! I hope you all enjoy these chic downtown engagement photos as much as I do!

P.S. I have had a LOT of questions come in about all the COVID-19 stuff, so I tried to answer those questions at the bottom of this post.

Adorable engaged couple taking photos in downtown Fort Worth

Girl in red dress kissing fiancé in front of vine wall

engaged couple wearing red and blue outfits taking photos in front of vine wall

Romantic photo of engaged couple in downtown Fort Worth

Rooftop photography at sunset of engaged couple

black and white of couple kissing on a rooftop in downtown Fort Worth

Couple kissing and being romantic on top on Sundance square parking garage in Fort Worth

Couple walking on parking garage in downtown fort worth during engagement session

engagement session downtown location ideas

golden hour light leak photo of couple kissing on a rooftop

Engaged couple wearing red and blue taking photos on a rooftop at sunset

THE BEST ENGAGEMENT PHOTO IDEAS

The best idea for your engagement session is to make it unique to you and your fiance. Think of places that have a special meaning to you! Whether that’s your wedding venue or your favorite coffee shop or your favorite place to go hiking. The more special the location is to you, the more meaningful your photos will be!

Downtown Fort Worth parking garage engagement photos

Engaged couple cuddling during their downtown Fort Worth engagement session

couple kissing on a rooftop in downtown Fort Worth during engagement session

landscape photo of couple with skyscrapers in downtown Fort Worth

moody black and white of engaged couple kissing on a rooftop in Fort Worth

Fort Worth couple taking rooftop engagement photos at sunset

engaged couple kissing during golden hour with light leaks on a rooftop in fort worth

engaged couple hugging on a rooftop downtown at sunset

Black and white close up of engaged couple looking at each other romantically

Boy in blue shirt kissing fiancé in red dress on forehead during sunset engagement session on a rooftop

Fort Worth court yard engagement photos with string lights

Downtown Fort Worth engagement session on Main Street in front of court house

playful couple smiling during engagement session in downtown Fort Worth courtyard

Boy leaning against brick wall during Fort Worth downtown engagement session

couple looking at each other romantically during engagement session in downtown fort worth courtyard

Couple dancing in front of Bass Hall during downtown Fort Worth engagement session

adorable couple looking at each other in front of Bass Hall in Downtown Fort Worth

couple kissing over a table during downtown Fort Worth engagement session

couple holding hands and walking across Main Street in Downtown Fort Worth Sundance square

couple holding hands and walking across Main Street in downtown Fort Worth

couple snuggling downtown during Fort Worth engagement session with Marissa Merrill Photography

Cute couple close up photo during Fort Worth engagement session

engagement photo posing ideas for natural unique engagement photos

Chic engagement photo in front of bass hall in downtown fort worth

Romantic modern photo of engaged couple in downtown Fort Worth

CORONAVIRUS PHOTOGRAPHY Q&A

I debated adding this into this post because I hate to bring more attention to this sucky situation. Everyone knows what’s happening in the world and it seems as though it’s all anyone is taking about. I know for so many people that my weekly posts are a fun way to get their minds off things, but it felt necessary to address these questions once and for all. If you aren’t a client of mine, or someone that is planning on reaching out to book a session/wedding, feel free to ignore the rest of this page since.

If you are a bride that has been affected by COVID-19, I want to personally say that I’m so sorry you are in this position. My heart is hurting for you right now, I have shed so many tears for you, and I pray every day that we wake up and all this is over so things can go back to normal. If there is anything you need from me during this time, please please please call me or text me or email me. I’m here.

Now, onto the questions.

How are you handling rescheduled weddings/sessions?

Any of my brides that are being directly affected by the shelter in place orders are able to reschedule their wedding as many times as necessary with no consequences. I know some wedding photographers/vendors aren’t transferring retainers. I am not one of those vendors. This situation is out of everyone’s control and no one saw this coming. Because of that, I am doing everything in my power to accommodate rescheduled weddings and sessions.

If a bride reschedules their date and I’m not available, I have associate photographers on stand-by to be there at times that I can’t.

Basically, my brides are taken care of to the best of my ability.

Are you still booking weddings/shoots?

As of right now, I am booking shoots+weddings after April 30th with the expectation that things might have to be postponed further. If you are interested in booking a session or wedding, shoot me an email and we can talk about what that would look like during this time!

How is this affecting you personally?

The biggest thing that has been hard for me is my balancing finances and not stressing out over them too much. As I’m sure you know, small businesses are hurting at the moment and I am one of them. Thankfully, I have a husband that is still able to work and support us during this time.

Other than that, I am staying positive and enjoying the extra time we get to spend together. As cruddy as this whole thing is, I think a lot of good can come from being forced to take a step back and slow down a little. Im sleeping in more, catching up on a lot of Netflix shows, (Tiger King as been a God send of entertainment in the McElhany household) and doing my best to be present and enjoy this season of life.

What changes are you making to your business during this time?

The first change I have made is being more strict with my “business hours”. Spending all of my time at home has made it harder to separate “work” from “family time”. Having a strict 5:00 cut off from work has helped with that.

The second (and more fun) change I am making is that I am launching virtual mini mentor sessions at the end of the week! Stay tuned for more information on that!

Lastly, what is something I can do to help you + other photographers during this time?

The biggest thing you can do is be patient with us. We’re doing our best to stay on top of everything going on, but no one wrote a “how to handle a pandemic” book for small business owners. Mistakes are going to be made and we aren’t always going to know all the answers or what exactly what to do. A little grace can go a long way right now.

Another thing that is helpful is to keep booking sessions/weddings! Booking a session for the future is the best thing to do for a photographer right now!

Lastly, share your photos + tag us! Seeing you post your engagement or wedding pictures brings the biggest smiles to my face! And everyone could use a few more reasons to smile right now:)

I hope you enjoyed all of the engagement photo ideas that Mindy and Kyle had! I also hope all of this information was helpful! If you have any other questions about COVID-19 and me/my business, don’t hesitate to reach out! I am spending a lot of time by my phone and on my computer if you need anything! In the words of Troy Bolton, we’re all in this together.