Courtney + Justin | An Acadia National Park Engagement Session

Some love stories begin across a crowded room. Courtney and Justin’s began across a screen.

They first met through online gaming, connecting from a distance before their relationship eventually became something much bigger than either of them probably expected when they first logged on.

What started online grew into a long-distance relationship, and then into something even better: a life together here in Maine.

Now, they’re planning their 2027 wedding.

Before we get there, though, we got to spend a beautiful May evening together in one of Maine’s most iconic places for their Acadia National Park engagement session.

An Engagement Session That Felt Like Them

One of my favorite things about engagement sessions is that there really isn’t a right way to do them.

You don’t need to know how to pose. You don’t need to practice smiling. And you definitely don’t need to spend an hour trying to look like people you aren’t.

Courtney and Justin’s session was about giving them space to simply be together.

To walk. To talk. To laugh. To settle into each other.

Because those little interactions are usually where the photographs start feeling less like engagement photos and more like you.

Acadia gave us the perfect backdrop for that.

There is something about photographing couples in Acadia National Park that never gets old. The rocky coastline, evergreens, mountains, ocean and changing Maine light give every session its own personality. But as incredible as the scenery is, I never want it to become more important than the people standing in it.

The landscape sets the scene.

Your relationship tells the story.

From Long Distance to Building a Life in Maine

I especially love knowing what it took for Courtney and Justin to arrive at this chapter together.

Long-distance relationships require intention. You have to choose one another even when being together isn't convenient or easy. Eventually, Courtney and Justin closed that distance and made Maine home.

There is something pretty special about documenting them here now.

The same two people who once had screens and miles between them were standing together along the coast of Maine, planning a wedding and the next chapter of a life they now get to share in the same place.

That history matters.

It is one of the reasons I believe your engagement session should be about more than creating a few photographs for save-the-dates.

This is part of your story, too.

Why I Love Engagement Sessions Before a Wedding

Engagement sessions give us something incredibly valuable before your wedding day: time without pressure.

There is no timeline moving us along. No guests waiting for you. No wedding party to organize. No reception entrance happening in fifteen minutes.

We can explore. We can experiment. You get to learn how I photograph, and I get to learn how the two of you naturally interact.

Maybe one of you makes the other laugh when things start feeling awkward.

Maybe you're affectionate and quiet.

Maybe you're playful, sarcastic and constantly giving each other a hard time.

Maybe you need a little while before you forget there's a camera nearby.

All of that is useful for me to know.

By the time your wedding arrives, we've already done this together once. You know what to expect from me, and I know how to give you enough guidance without turning your wedding day into a photo shoot.

That means we can spend less time worrying about photographs and more time allowing you to actually experience your wedding.

Planning an Acadia National Park Engagement Session

If you're considering engagement photos in Acadia, May can be a beautiful time to visit.

Acadia National Park offers an incredible variety of landscapes within a relatively small area. Depending on the experience you're looking for, your engagement session can include rocky coastline, wooded trails, mountain views, beaches, open fields or some combination of them.

But I think the best Acadia engagement sessions start with something other than a location checklist.

They start with you.

Do you want to adventure?

Do you want something quiet and romantic?

Would you rather explore somewhere you've never been or photograph a place that already means something to you?

Your engagement photographs don't need to look exactly like everyone else's photographs from Acadia.

They should feel like your relationship, with Maine as the backdrop.

Next Stop: The Wedding

Courtney and Justin, I loved getting to spend this evening with you and hearing more about the road that brought you here.

From meeting through online gaming, to navigating a long-distance relationship, to finally building a home together in Maine, you've already written quite a few chapters.

And in 2027, you get to begin another one.

I can't wait to see where we go next.

Looking for an Engagement or Wedding Photographer in Maine?

If you're planning a wedding in Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Bangor, Downeast Maine, the Midcoast, Southern Maine, Northern Maine, or somewhere completely different, I'd love to hear what you're dreaming up.

I photograph weddings and engagement sessions throughout Maine with a mix of documentary storytelling and gentle guidance when you need it. My goal isn't to spend your day manufacturing perfect moments.

It's to notice the ones already happening.

The laughter. The nerves. The people you love. The way your partner looks at you when you're paying attention to something else. The quiet seconds between all of the big things you've spent months planning.

Because your photographs should show you what your wedding looked like.

But more importantly, I want them to remind you what it felt like to be there.

Ready for your own experience with Humble Sight Photography? Lets plan your session.