A Syracuse Love Story: From College Sweethearts at Le Moyne to Golden Hour Magic in Franklin Square

When a couple’s love story comes full circle, it makes photographing them that much more meaningful. That was absolutely the case with Martina and Angelo. Their engagement session in Syracuse was filled with sentimental stops, golden light, and a whole lot of laughter (plus a little bit of sweat, we’ll get to that in a sec).


We kicked things off at Le Moyne College, their alma mater and the place where it all began. The summer quiet gave us full run of campus, and it truly felt like we had the whole world to ourselves.


With the usual campus buzz on pause, we wandered through old favorite spots and relived a few memories in the process. Even in 95º heat, these two were allllll smiles and not just for the camera. They were total troopers, powering through the heat and humidity like champs (with some well-earned water breaks along the way).

A romantic couple in wedding attire embraces while standing on brick pavement surrounded by greenery in a park setting.
Couple walking together on a campus sidewalk by a decorative clock tower and brick building on a sunny day.
A romantic couple in white outfits embrace tenderly during a wedding photo session outdoors.
A couple in white outfits embraces while standing in a sunny park with tall trees in the background.
A romantic wedding couple embraces in soft natural lighting while wearing white and cream colored attire.
Couple dressed in white clothing share a romantic moment on a sunny day in a park with lush green trees.
A romantic wedding couple shares intimate moments in a series of outdoor portraits with soft natural lighting.
A couple in elegant white attire holding hands while walking down a sidewalk in a black and white photograph.
A romantic couple embraces while sharing an intimate moment together in a sun-dappled outdoor setting.

After Le Moyne, we headed downtown to Franklin Square, and the second we arrived, it was like golden hour rolled out a red carpet just for them. The light was perfection: soft, glowy, and dreamy in every direction. We made our way under the vine-covered trellis, into the lush garden, and out onto the cobblestone streets, where they laughed and soaked up those last few moments of sunshine.

Three cropped images showing hands and arms wearing white clothing and jewelry in an intimate portrait style.
A couple in white outfits share an intimate moment on a brick pathway surrounded by manicured shrubs and trees.
A couple in white outfits sharing romantic moments on stone steps during a golden hour photoshoot session.
A couple in matching white wedding attire walks together down a walkway, shot from behind in three similar poses.
A couple dressed in white outfits walks together on a stone patio path in a garden setting during a sunny day.
A couple in white stands on a brick pathway surrounded by manicured shrubs and greenery in a romantic scene.
Romantic outdoor photo of a couple in white attire sharing an intimate moment against a stone wall in natural lighting.
A couple in white outfits shares a romantic moment together on a garden path surrounded by blooming flowers.
A couple in white outfits share romantic poses while sitting on a stone ledge in a park setting.
Couple in white outfits walking together down a path by a brick industrial building with large windows.
Romantic couple in white outfits sharing intimate moments against stone columns in a sunlit outdoor setting.
Happy couple dressed in light summer outfits share joyful moment leaning against brick wall during outdoor photoshoot.

It was the perfect blend of old memories and new beginnings, and such a beautiful preview of what’s to come.


This September, I’ll be documenting their next chapter at Franklin Plaza in Troy, and if their engagement session was any indication, it’s going to be such a fun and gorgeous day! Can’t wait to see these two tie the knot!