Caroline and Steve are getting married in 2027, and when it came time to plan their engagement session, they weren't sure where to start. They're not the couple with a spot that means everything to them. They just wanted to feel like themselves for an evening. So I asked what they actually like doing together, and the answer was simple. Hanging out at the beach. Sitting in the sand. Not much more to it than that. That was enough. We picked Duxbury Beach, a long stretch of coastline about 40 minutes south of Boston, and planned for a Saturday evening.

Engaged couple holding hands and walking along the shoreline at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, in warm afternoon sunlight.

The forecast said rain. Instead we got something better. Over about 90 minutes, the sky went from full sun to soft clouds to one of the most colorful sunsets I've shot all year, followed by a thunderstorm rolling in right as we packed up the car. You cannot plan that. You can only be ready for it.

Starting Simple

Caroline and Steve are a little more reserved than most of my couples, so we didn't start with anything big. We walked the inner part of the beach, the side that faces Cape Cod Bay instead of the open ocean. It's quieter there. Fewer people, more tall grass, more room to breathe. I had them hold hands. Walk. Talk to each other. Make each other laugh. Nothing performed, nothing posed. Just two people getting used to a camera being nearby, which is most of the job in the first twenty minutes of any session.

Engaged couple walking barefoot along the shoreline at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, smiling at each other in golden light.
Engaged couple kissing barefoot in the shallow water at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, during golden hour light.
Engaged couple embracing on the sand at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, with backlit marsh grass and water behind them.

Into the Grass

As the light started to shift and the sky picked up its first real color, we moved into the tall grass lining the beach. This is where things got a little playful. A little childlike, honestly. Running hands through the grass, spinning around, that kind of thing. The light was doing most of the work here, soft and warm, catching the edges of everything.

Engaged couple sitting together in tall dune grass at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, smiling in late afternoon light.
Engaged couple standing and laughing together in tall dune grass at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, beneath a blue sky.
Engaged couple holding hands and laughing in tall grass at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, her dress caught by the wind
Engaged couple embracing at the water's edge at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, with marsh grass and tidal creek behind them.

A Small Celebration

Partway through, we paused for an outfit change and a picnic Caroline and Steve set up themselves, right there in the grass. Champagne, cheese, and glasses with their wedding date on them. This is the part of the session that had nothing to do with me. It was just them, celebrating something, and I got to document it instead of direct it.

Engaged couple sharing a laugh during a picnic in a grassy field at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, with champagne and glasses.
Close-up of champagne being poured into personalized glasses reading wedding date, during a beach picnic.
Close-up of personalized champagne glasses reading 'the one where Caroline said yes' and 'the one where Steve proposed.'
Engaged couple sitting together holding personalized champagne glasses during a picnic near Duxbury Beach.
Close-up of personalized champagne glasses reading 'the one where Caroline said yes' and 'the one where Steve proposed.
Couple holding hands and smiling at each other on a grassy waterfront at sunset.
A smiling couple stands together on a grassy waterfront at sunset, woman in white shirt and denim shorts, man in gray polo.
Engaged couple shares a kiss with Duxbury Beach in the background, the sky is a colorful sunset during their engagement session.

The Sky Takes Over

By the time we got to the final stretch, the color in the sky was hard to overstate. We used what was left of the light to do a few more deliberate portraits along the beach's edge and in the surf. More embracing. A few kisses. A little more drama, because the sky gave us permission to go there. We wrapped just as the storm started to roll in. Packed up the gear, got soaked walking back to the car, and didn't care.

Engaged couple embracing by a wooden beach fence at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, under a dramatic orange and blue sunset.
Couple sharing a romantic moment on a sandy beach at sunset with dramatic clouds and a white fence backdrop.
Engaged couple sitting together on the sand at Duxbury Beach, Massachusetts, laughing beneath a colorful dusk sky.
Couple sitting on sandy beach at sunset with dramatic cloudy sky in background.
Couple sharing a romantic kiss in front of a wooden fence at sunset with a vivid orange sky backdrop.

Why This Works

I didn't need a built-in story to make this gallery feel alive. I needed two people willing to show up, a stretch of coastline, and about 90 minutes of unpredictable Massachusetts weather. That's most of what I do. Read the couple in front of me, read the light, and stay ready for whatever the evening actually gives me instead of what I planned for. If your engagement session doesn't come with some big backstory, that's not a problem. It's not a requirement. Bring yourselves, and I'll do the rest.

related reading

If you are engaged and planning a wedding as well as an engagement session, please take a look at some of my other posts. I have countless articles related to engagement sessions can be a big help and provide inspiration. Please see below.

Boston Wedding Photographer Greg Hitchcock smiling on a dock with a colorful setting sun behind him and a camera in each hand.
Hello my name is Gregory Hitchcock


Ready to talk about your own session?

I'm the photographer behind these photos, and I'll be honest, engagement sessions are not just a pretty gallery to me. They're how I get to know you before your wedding day even starts. I learn how you stand together, what makes you laugh, whether you need a minute to warm up or you're ready to go from the first frame. All of that shows up in how I shoot your wedding. I'm not meeting you for the first time on the biggest day of your life. I already know you. If you're engaged, I'd love to talk. Click the link below, send me a message, and let's figure out your day.

LET'S TALK!