If you’re looking for golden hour light, grassy beach vibes, an adorable dog and the cutest couple, you’ve found the best place on the Internet for that.

Melissa & TJ met when they were both in college at Old Dominion University. Melissa and TJ found themselves at a party hosted by a friend and Melissa had asked TJ a few nights later to be her partner for beer pong and they quickly became close!

TJ proposed to Melissa after getting her friends to provide a photo shoot alibi which kept Melissa occupied during the day and raised little suspicion about getting dressed up for the “photo shoot“ the girls had planned! When Melissa and her friends arrived at the beach, they revealed that it was actually for her and to keep walking down the boardwalk where TJ and their fur baby Astreaux were waiting for her! He asked, she said YES and now they’re planning a summer wedding at the Barns of Kanak in June 2022!

When we were discussing locations for engagement sessions, after finding out last minute that our first location required a permit 30 days in advance, a suggestion from my photography bestie for Pleasure House Point Park in Virginia Beach led us to this gem the day of their session (shout out to Heather Lacey Photography for coming in clutch with the location suggestion <3) and it honestly couldn’t have been more perfect!

We walked through the tall grass, walked on the sandy beach part and we used up every single second of sunlight the day had to offer. We left the park at dusk with a memory card full of incredibly gorgeous images and the best feeling. I loved getting to hang out with these two again and it was a session I’d be thrilled to do over and over and over again. TJ mentioned he wasn’t a huge fan of photos and that he wasn’t a model but he and Melissa honestly belong on the cover of a magazine somewhere with how incredible they were during their session!

I wish it wasn’t so long until their June wedding at the Barns of Kanak in Prince George VA next year but I’m happy I have these golden hour portraits to hang onto until we get more golden hour ones at the Barns!

So until June 2022, enjoy some of my favorite photos from their Pleasure House Point Park engagement session!

Gonna be here with major heart eyes for these two hotties and wishing June can get here faster! And can you really blame me? These two are magic in front of the camera, add in June’s golden hour at the Barns of Kanak (aka one of the best wedding venues in Virginia) and you cannot go wrong at all.

Let’s go June 2022!