Dena called me a couple of weeks ago to tell me that she wanted to surprise her husband, James, with a photo session with their dog, Buddha, for his birthday! Buddha is the reason why Dena and James met in the first place, which was at a dog park in Chicago! James had overheard something funny that Dena had said, and it made him laugh. From then on, Dena and James talked for hours each day before becoming official!

We decided to have our session at the beautiful Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ. We had the most perfect weather for taking photos – 70 degrees with a golden glow! I couldn’t get over how much their outfits coordinated perfectly – these two have such great style! Dena and James were such a joy to photograph. I could tell that they were having so much fun in front of the camera together, and I loved being there to create these special memories for the three of them.

Happy Birthday, James! Enjoy some of my favorites below!