Where in Ottawa: Andrew Hayden Park | A Blog Series on Ottawa's Best Locations for Wedding and Engagement Session
Andrew Hayden Park is one of those places that everyone in Ottawa has been to at least once! Located on Carling Avenue at Holly Acres Road, the park features typical walking trails, play structures, a bandshell for outdoor concerts, artificial ponds, and a picnic area. It is a stone throw away from the Nepean Sailing Club and a good 20-minute walk from Brittania Beach. Unlike the previous locations featured in this blog series (Pink Lake and Dominion Arboretum), Andrew Haydon Park does not have lush trees and greeneries. Most of the trees are on the edges of the park, and they are not nearly as abundant and thick.
Where In Ottawa: Pink Lake | A Blog Series On Ottawa Best Locations For Wedding And Engagement Session
Despite its name, the lake is itself not pink at all, but rather green. It is named after the Pink family who had a farm close by back in the 1800s. Pink Lake is particularly unique because of its meromictic nature - meaning its upper and lower layers of water never mix! A hike around the lake, on its well-maintained stairs and pathways, can take sixty to ninety minutes depending on your fitness level or how many stops you make on its various lookouts. Regardless of where you are on the trail, you will always have foliage and trees on one side and its beautiful turquoise-colored water on the other. I have been there once in the fall, and the lake reflects the vibrant colors of the changing leaves which make for a gorgeous mirrored effect!
Where in Ottawa: Dominion Arboretum | A Blog Series on Ottawa's Best Locations for Wedding and Engagement Sessions
How to Prepare for Your Engagement Session
Engagement photo shoots can be a bit daunting for many couples (you should do it!). It is likely the first time you and your fiancé(e) will devote an entire hour in front of the camera together. It is likely the first time you are working with a professional photographer, whose style and personality you have (hopefully) carefully considered. Depending on the location you have chosen for the photo shoot, you might be in a public space, where people will inevitably glance at you and your partner having, what many might consider to be, a private moment.
How do you prepare for this? How do you act in front of the camera? What do you wear? These are some of the most common questions I generally get from my couples and I've come up with several tips I usually send to them in order to prepare them for what should be a fun photo shoot!