Cornell Botanic Gardens Engagement Photos in Ithaca, NY | Samantha and Leonard

Engaged couple walking the Cornell Botanical Gardens during under beautifully colored fall tree's.

I felt like we were in the Secret Garden for Samantha and Leonard’s Cornell Botanic Gardens Engagement Photos in Ithaca, NY.

It was my first photoshoot after having had my second little baby boy, Brady, and it couldn’t have been on a more beautiful day or with a sweeter couple! Sam and Len, as they go by, came all the way for their engagement session from Hoboken, NJ! We had planned a romantic photoshoot at Cornell University’s Botanic Gardens, and between the rich sun, a bright blue sky, and the lush tropical plants teeming about us, we felt like we were in paradise. 🤩

The couple walk closer to one another at the Cornell Botanical Garden's.

Sam and Len have the sweetest connection, and their chemistry 100% set the tone for such a romantic photoshoot!

They are like a poster couple - down to earth, crazy about each other, and legit MODELS - and Sam hit the nail on the head when she came to me with a vision for intimate images! “I want to look at my engagement photos and feel warmth from deep within my gut,” she said. And since “warmth,” as you know, is my bread and butter. Of course, they were both kindred spirits the instant we met!!

The couple pull one another in to each other at the F.R. Newman Arboretum

The irony about Sam and Len’s story is that they both went to Ithaca College only a year apart, but never knew each other until they separately moved to NJ! Coincidentally, Len lived in Sam’s apartment the year before her, but they never really knew or talked to each other on campus! All it took was 220 miles and a match on Tinder to spark the start of their relationship. 😂

The couple hold one another close together head-to-head and nose-to-nose

We strategically did their engagement photos during Upstate NY’s peak fall foliage season, and we scored the most glorious colors!

We also found that the gardens’ colors were equally as beautiful, featuring herbs, flowers, tropical plants, rhododendrons, etc. It was literally like wandering through the Secret Garden!! 🙈 In total, this special oasis boasts 25 acres of gardens, not to mention 150 acres of the F. R. Newman Arboretum. Between the foliage, the sweater weather vibes, and the English-style gardens, I was just reeling with excitement.

The couple share a dance together under the sun with the botanical gardens surrounding them.

We started with their dressier outfit at the Nevin Welcome Center (thankfully at which, we were able to take cover when we were hit with an out-of-left-field monsoon! Lol!) and ended at Sackett Foot Bridge with a more casual outfit. Both of these spots were radiant with natural beauty and dancing with Upstate NY’s glorious fall color, just like the entirety of Cornell University’s campus.

The groom holds his bride up while she holds his head close to hers. With beams of beautiful light shining down on the couple.

Overall, I’m honestly just really thankful to create beautiful imagery for couples like Sam and Len, and to celebrate their sweet love story! It is a gift beyond comparison to have a job that never feels like “work,” even at four weeks postpartum. 😉

I’m so stoked to be a part of their wedding team next fall at the Inn at Taughannock and to create even more magic in the beautiful Finger Lakes region!

Check out my guide, Top Engagement Shoot Locations in Upstate NY, for more “couples photoshoot” inspiration or see the magic of an Inn at Taughannock wedding here: Nicolette and Sean’s Timeline Finger Lakes Wedding and Sydney and Brady’s Elegant Rainy Destination Wedding. Until next time, friends! ❤️

Engagement, GalleryEmilee CarpenterCornell Botanic GardensBotanical Garden, Romantic, Upstate New York, Fall, Secret Garden, University