Madalyn arrived at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens wearing the most beautiful white dress with textured florals. Weeks before her session, she had tried to order it online, only to find it was sold out. A few days before her session, she and her mom went shopping and happened to find the exact dress in-store. It was obviously meant to be and it couldn’t have been a better fit for the garden setting.

Her mom, Heather, and her sister, Kaitlyn, came along for the session, which made the night even more fun. I photographed Kaitlyn’s engagement session here about four years ago, so it was so good to see both of them again and catch up while documenting another season for their family.

The gardens were packed that afternoon because of the cherry blossom festival and a sorority group taking formal photos, so we had to be intentional about where we shot. We tucked into quieter spots, shifted angles, and made the most of every little pocket of space we could find. You’d never know how many people were just outside the frame!

After exploring the gardens, we made our way to Sibyl Temple for the rest of her session. We had the entire spot to ourselves at first, but not for long. Right after Madalyn changed into her ballet outfit and pointe shoes, another photographer arrived and let us know a proposal would be happening there soon. We planned to finish before it started, but the couple arrived early, so we paused to give them space. Once they were done, we jumped right back in and finished strong.

Madalyn, thank you so much for choosing me for your senior portraits and for being part of my spokesmodel team this year! It truly means so much. It’s always such an honor when a family trusts me with multiple milestones—from Kaitlyn’s engagement, bridal portraits, and wedding to now your senior year. I’m so grateful to continue documenting your family!