The Cherry Blossoms in Washington, DC are one of the most idyllic times in the District — the entire Tidal Basin is surrounded by these iconic trees, making for a fluffy pink backdrop that is simply stunning for engagement photos. They are, also, one of the most fleeting periods — sticking around for approximately seven to ten days, which can be cut short by winds and freezing temperatures!

Mary and Michael’s session was scheduled towards the end of the peak period and the night before we were supposed to meet, we decided to postpone a day due to biting cold winds that would’ve made the session next to impossible. As Thursday was calling for rain, we knew Wednesday was really our last chance to catch those beautiful trees in action, so we were all set to meet at sunrise. When I awoke, I took a quick peek at my phone to see that suddenly, overnight, the morning weather changed to a 90% chance ice-rain! But, hair and makeup was scheduled and those blooms weren’t waiting any longer, so we took our chance.

I always arrive insanely early to grab a parking spot… and sometimes grab a Tidal Basin shoot spot!… on busy days! Ohio Drive was nearly empty and about 15 minutes before we were to begin, I heard it — the sound of ice plinking off my car. I grabbed my umbrella, staked out our spot, and you know what? It passed by the time we even got started, leaving us with a cool sunrise and a totally empty Tidal Basin! There was a bit of light rain, but Mary and Michael weren’t bothered in the slightest (and her professional hair and makeup stayed perfect!).

Mary and Michael are no stranger to hurdles. They joke that they met during Hurricane Irma while living in Florida, Michael proposed during the pandemic, they experienced a brief, but freak, ice-rain storm during their engagement session and wonder what could possible happen when they get married next July in Oregon!

Enjoy a peek into their stunning cherry blossom engagement session in Washington, DC!