Courtney & Ryan had the most stunning morning for their cherry blossom engagement session in Washington, DC. Like with all of my cherry blossom sessions, we started the morning off at the Tidal Basin at sunrise. The catch? With the timing of the trees, their session happened to fall on a Saturday during peak bloom!

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the Tidal Basin during peak bloom, but even at sunrise, it is wall-to-wall with people — everyone hoping for their chance to capture those fleeting blossoms. This year, in particular, was more going to prove to be more difficult than ever as the Tidal Basin was under heavy construction to correct flooding. This meant that there were less blooms and less sidewalk space available, leading to a higher concentration of the crowd. All of that sounds impossible, right!? Well, when you take peek below, I think you’ll see we created a little bit of magic for Courtney and Ryan! After all, cherry blossoms are a little like the Super Bowl for Washington, DC wedding photographers, so we all thrive under the pressure!

I arrived nearly an hour before their session to stake out a spot. I got so lucky to be surrounded by folks who were excited to cheer them on during their session and didn’t mind moving around to accommodate our photo requests! Sure, we had moments where we needed to pause or wait for a location to open up, but all-in-all, considering just how crowded it was that morning, even I’m a bit shocked at how empty their photos make the Tidal Basin look. And before you ask… yes, I did use a little photoshopping magic, but honestly not nearly as much as you’d expect! I think I removed more people from the back of their images at the Jefferson than the Tidal Basin, if you can believe it!

This sweet couple will be getting married in Italy later this year and if Courtney’s sense of style is any indication, it is sure to be a stunning affair!