Raleigh NC Engagement Photos in Historic Oakwood Neighborhood

Love looks different during a pandemic. Instead of dining in downtown Raleigh or attending crowded concerts, couples turned to classic date activities. Victoria Gordon and Cody Barnes fell in love over afternoon picnics and long neighborhood walks amidst the shutdown. They wanted engagement photos to authentically represent their modern-day love story. So, they booked Nikki Whitt Belch with Fancy This Photography. And, let me tell you, I’m thankful that they did! I had so much fun capturing Victoria and Cody’s Raleigh NC engagement photos in Historic Oakwood Neighborhood.

You might wonder whether engagement photos are necessary. If there is room in your wedding budget for engagement photos, I strongly encourage you to book a session for two reasons:

1. You’ll want and need engagement photos for save the dates and/or your wedding website.

2. An engagement photo session is the best time to get to know your wedding photographer and practice being comfortable in front of a camera.

Engagement photo sessions are my favorite because it allows me to see how a couple expresses love. Understanding how people interact and their body language helps me make the day-of wedding smoother with posing, etc. It's a win-win all around.

Raleigh NC Engagement Photos by Fancy This Photography

Victoria and Cody discovered Fancy This Photography via their wedding venue, The Carolina Inn’s recommended vendor list. They booked Fancy This Photography because they love Nikki’s style and emphasis on color.

“All of her shoots looked so fun and unique, displaying each couple's personality and we felt very strongly that we wanted our photos to reflect us as a couple,” Victoria says. “We had a wonderful time shooting our engagement with Nikki! We had so much fun chatting, trying out new poses and just laughing a lot. Nikki made it very easy to be our natural, authentic selves, and we can't wait for her to shoot our wedding.”

Keep scrolling to read more about Victoria and Cody’s love story and Raleigh NC engagement photos in Historic Oakwood neighborhood.

Fortune Cookies & First Dates

Bull City-born Victoria met Cody, originally from Mount Airy, on Bumble. After messaging on the dating app for a day or so, they went on their first date at Brewery Bhavana in downtown Raleigh. They hit it off over delicious drinks and dangerously good food.

Invisible String-Inspired Proposal

Cody asked Victoria to marry him on Aug. 11, 2021. He had five days alone, while Victoria was on a work trip at Virginia Beach, to plan an epic, surprise proposal. Let me just say this, Cody understood the assignment.

Flowers, candles and fortune cookies (an ode to their first date at Brewery Bhavana) greeted Victoria at the front door when she got home. A gold string inspired by Taylor Swift’s “Invisible String,” led her to the back porch where “Imagine” by Ben Platt played in the background. Victoria found her prince waiting patiently on the back porch. Cody, already down on one knee and surrounded by twinkle lights, held a giant sign that read “Will you marry me?” in flowers.

“It was a complete surprise for me, and full of the sweetest, most thoughtful moments and keystones to our relationship,” Victoria says.

You think that story is sweet? Keep scrolling for more of Victoria and Cody’s romantic Raleigh NC engagement photos in Historic Oakwood neighborhood.

Raleigh NC Engagement Photos in Historic Oakwood Neighborhood

Fancy This Photography captured Victoria and Cody’s engagement photos in the historic Oakwood-area near downtown Raleigh. This included several local landmarks for the couple: The Merrimon-Wynne House, Two Roosters Ice Cream, The Raleigh Rose Garden and a few other random neighborhood spots.

“With so much of our relationship being during the COVID-19 pandemic, we spent a lot of time together walking outside in the Oakwood-area, talking about plants and the beautiful homes we wished we could one day live in,” Victoria says. “We'd always grab a pint of Two Roosters on the way home for a sweet treat later! Oakwood is a huge part of our dating history and one of the places we spent the most time getting to know each other, so we thought it would be fun to show the area off in our engagement photos.”

Advice From Your Raleigh NC Engagement Photographer

When it comes to engagement photo sessions, I want couples to feel comfortable in their environment. The last thing that I want to do is place a couple in a pretty field somewhere that has zero meaning to them. Victoria and Cody really enjoy the Historic Oakwood part of downtown Raleigh. They frequent this area often, and even go to Two Roosters (a place we stopped at for a few photos and ice cream!). Places that feel like the couple make the final photo gallery that much special.

As for engagement photo fashion, I recommend that you bring two outfits.

1. One outfit that’s fancy, formal, spicy and va-va-voom.

2. One outfit that’s casual, comfortable, thoughtful and authentic.

Two outfits will give you the best of both worlds. Engagement photo sessions last an hour to an hour and a half, so you don’t have time to change into four or five different outfits. I also recommend that couples wear complementary colors. For example, if you wear blue, your partner should wear a yellow, pink, or dark purple. You and your partner should be able to stand on your own, in your own colors, and come together as a complementary pair in camera.

Fancy This Photography couples receive their engagement photo gallery three to four weeks after their session.

Stay Tuned for Victoria & Cody’s Carolina Inn Wedding

Fancy This Photography is excited to capture Victoria and Cody’s November 2022 wedding at The Carolina Inn. The bride- and groom-to-be are both UNC Chapel Hill alums who look forward to celebrating with friends and family in such a sentimental place. The wedding ceremony will take place outside, fingers crossed for perfect fall weather!

“We want our wedding to be filled with lots of little references to us as a couple and we cannot wait for Nikki to capture that for us,” Victoria says.

Interested in booking an engagement photo session with Fancy This Photography? Click here to schedule your free consultation. 

Photographer //  Fancy This Photography

Raleigh NC Engagement Photo Locations Featured: 

Historic Oakwood Neighborhood

Two Roosters Ice Cream

The Merrimon-Wynne House 

The Raleigh Rose Garden 

Engagement Photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden

Roses are red, violets are blue, Raleigh Rose Garden, we love you! Isn’t that how the poem goes? Something along those lines. Lucky for you, we’re NC wedding photographers and not poets. Siera Nie and Michael Sturdivant’s engagement photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden look like scenes from your favorite romance novel or movie (Except better, because this love story is real!)

The Raleigh Rose Garden is a local gem nestled just behind Raleigh Little Theatre at 301 Pogue Street. Open 365 days a year, guests can explore the garden from dawn to dusk. Want to know the best part? Visiting the garden is free! Professional photographers are welcome, but must obtain an annual film permit from City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. The Raleigh Rose Garden has over 60 rose beds which bloom between Mother’s Day and the first hard freeze (typically in November). But there’s a lot more than roses in this gorgeous garden.

Keep scrolling to learn more about taking engagement photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden!

Meet Fancy This Photography’s Newest Team Member

It’s our pleasure to introduce Courtney Collins, Fancy This Photography’s newest team member. She is the artist behind Siera and Michael’s romantic Raleigh Rose Garden engagement photos! Courtney joined Fancy This Photography in January 2022 because she wanted to work with a team of supportive women.

“I respect Nikki’s approach to photography and style, and I wanted to be a part of a team where I could also grow as a creative,” Courtney says.

Her love of photography began in Staley, North Carolina, where Courtney’s father built a darkroom for her in high school. She went on to enroll in a program focused on photography at Randolph Community College. Courtney then moved to New York to pursue her career as a photographer. In New York, she managed the studio of a photographer of the New York City Ballet for twelve years. Upon returning to NC, she brought back a unique perspective influenced by over a decade’s work in NYC.

Above all else, Courtney values authenticity in her work.

“In each engagement photo session, I love finding a place to photograph that is special to the couple and that they both feel like themselves,” Courtney says. “I want couples to laugh, have fun and feel good about themselves.”

Courtney has photographed over fifty engagement sessions, and yet, each one is as unique as the couple behind the lens. She describes her photography style as romantic realism, and we couldn’t agree more. Siera and Michael’s engagement photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden are proof of the pudding.

Siera & Michael’s Love story

Siera and Michael first met during their sophomore year of high school in Charlotte, NC. They had no idea at that time that they would say “I do” 15 years later. Siera and Michael went on their first date seven years after high school graduation. They caught up about life after college and reconnected over warm cups of coffee. But coffee wasn’t the only thing warming Siera’s heart. That day, Siera caught feelings for the man Michael had become.

The Proposal

Some secrets are too big to keep. In Michael’s case, his secret proposal was spoiled by a letter. The letter, sent by a jeweler, landed in Siera’s hands at their Durham home summer of 2020. Being a good sport, she hid the letter and pretended it never existed.

On the day of the proposal, Michael’s birthday July 24, 2020, the pair went for a stroll before dinner. During this walk they decided to take the next steps in their relationship as husband and wife. They celebrated over dinner and drinks at Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas. Siera’s daughter Aveena was excited that “Mickey” proposed. Aveana is 13 years old and will be a junior bridesmaid in Siera and Michael’s upcoming wedding. Their two furry family members, an Abyssinian Guinea Pig named Carla and an American Guinea Pig called Cheesecake, will not be in attendance.

How Siera & Michael Found Fancy This Photography

Siera first met Nikki Whitt Belch, Fancy This Photography owner, at a bridal showcase in Durham. She even won a free engagement photo session with Fancy This Photography! Prior to the first engagement photo shoot, Nikki met with Siera and Michael via Zoom to walk them through the process and give them an idea of what the session would be like.

“The day of the shoot, she put us at ease given that this was our first professional shoot together and made it really fun,” says Siera. “The photos were beyond amazing. Because of that experience we decided to book Fancy This Photography. Working with Courtney on our second engagement photo session was a blast. She has an eye for a perfect location, light, and her personality is so infectious you are bound to have a good time during the shoot and not to mention the photos. They were phenomenal and we cannot wait to work with her on our big day.”

Engagement Photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden

The Raleigh Rose Garden was a perfect location for Siera and Michael’s engagement photo session. There’s plenty of space across the garden’s 6.5 acres to take romantic photos without feeling pressure from the public gaze. Engagement photo sessions are a great opportunity for couples to relax and get used to being in front of the camera. It also gives the photographer a chance to see how couples interact with each other and what works best for them.

As if roses aren’t romantic enough, even their names will make you swoon! Keep an eye out for “Marmalade Skies,” “Elizabeth Taylor,” “Reba McEntire,” “First Kiss,” “Glowing Peace,” “Starry Night,” and “Fragrant Cloud” during your next visit. In addition to roses, perennials, shrubs and trees, The Raleigh Rose Garden features beautiful trellises, statues, fountains and arbors to take photos by.

The Raleigh Rose Garden: A Very Brief History

Although not officially dedicated until 1951, The Raleigh Rose Garden’s beginnings date back to the creation of The Raleigh Little Theatre in 1939. Catch a glimpse of the Stephenson Amphitheater in Siera and Michael’s engagement photos! Enjoy outdoor drama, festivals, weddings, concerts, yoga and even Pokémon Go in this historic theatre complex year round. Please keep in mind that there are no public restrooms.

Engagement Photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden

“[Siera and Michael] were so much fun and supportive of each other in their endeavors,” Courtney says. “They were both attending school simultaneously, and I could see that they respected and championed each other.”

Courtney used a R6 camera and the Canon 50 1.2 RF lens to capture Siera and Michael’s engagement photos in The Raleigh Rose Garden. Although she always carries backup gear, Courtney prefers to shoot engagement photo sessions without too many pieces of equipment. She believes that engagement photo sessions should be a time for the couple to enjoy each other and celebrate their love in a space that’s stress-free.

“Do it,” Courtney says. “It's okay to feel nervous, everyone does, but it's worth it!”

Stay tuned for photos from Siera and Michael’s wedding on June 26, 2022 at The Cotton Room in Durham, NC. Looking for more engagement photo inspiration? Click here to see Victoria and Cody’s engagement photos in Historic Oakwood Neighborhood.

Photographer // Fancy This Photography
Engagement Photo Venue // The Raleigh Rose Garden 

Sophia & Martin

Engaged in Raleigh, NC

I met Sophia & Martin at one of my very sweetest couples weddings (that couple was Stephanie & Dan! You guys are probably familiar with that awesome yacht sendoff!). These two are set to marry later this year in beautiful Italy! I know, it’s going to be gorgeous! We wanted to incorporate a very clean look for their engagement session as they wanted it to correlate with their aesthetic for their Italy wedding.

We met in downtown Raleigh on Fayetteville Street and used some of the buildings as our backdrop. I have to admit, though, the eyes are definitely drawn to these two together. My favorite part about their session was the way Martin look at Sophia. It was endearing and amazing to see. I am so happy I was able to service this couple for their engagement session!