I think it goes without saying that I will never turn down an opportunity to visit JMU. I attended undergrad there, but ended up graduating in three years so I have always felt like I didn’t get enough time in this special place. I remember the first time I visited the campus knowing this is where I had to attend. I applied to Penn State and Virginia Tech as my safety schools, but those letters of acceptance never even stood a chance against the beauty of Harrisonburg, VA. It’s certainly not a school for everyone; it’s in a very small town where the college is everything. The school, in my opinion, was just the right size — not so small that you saw the same people every day, but not so large that you only had classes in rooms that felt like an auditorium. Something about that campus in the fall is magical and it’s the exact place I fell in love with my now husband, Rob. So to say this place holds a special spot in my heart would simply be an understatement. 

One of the things I love most about being a Washington, DC wedding photographer is that I have the opportunity to meet other couples who have a similar story like Sam and Matt. They also met and fell in love at JMU, so they always knew that they wanted to have their engagement session on the campus. Their JMU engagement was the epitome of “all things fall”; we stopped at all of my favorite places on campus including the quad, the arboretum, and even the newly developed stadium! Every time I visit, I am reminded why I chose to attend there and fall in love with the school all over again. 

I wanted to extend a HUGE thank you to The Learned Bride for featuring Sam & Matt’s engagement session at James Madison University. Head over to their blog to see more of the feature here!!