This downtown Providence engagement session with Michelle & Keith was quite possibly my favorite, and the COOLEST session I’ve done so far! Who wouldn’t want to experience a date night out on the Providence River with glasses of bubbly, dreamy golden hour lighting, and a romantic gondola ride?! 🥂
The vision: a dreamy date night on the river
Fun fact: Michelle actually found me on TikTok a while back, and was immediately interested in doing their shoot in Providence while she and her fiancé were visiting that summer. Crazy to think that these two California cuties wanted to take their engagement photos with me in little old Providence… but Michelle knew what she wanted, and she was ready to bring her ideas to life!
One of the first things Michelle told me they wanted for their session? Photos on a gondola boat. Yes, a gondola boat, like the ones that float through the iconic canals in Venice! I actually had NO idea that gondola rides were a thing in Providence, despite living in RI for years—and I was honestly so excited to experience one of my favorite cities in a new way.
I will forever adore fun, unique sessions like these, especially because the gondola ride made it so so magical… keep scrolling to see what a blast we had!
Timeless engagement portraits at the RI State House
We kicked off our session at the Rhode Island State House, which is one of my all-time favorite engagement photo locations in downtown Providence. The architecture is SO cool—the bright white marble, the endless bricks, the towering arches… they all make this such a perfect place for timeless, romantic photos, like the ones we took with Michelle & Keith out on the steps. Which, by the way, are an amazing place to look out over the rest of the city and spot some of downtown Providence’s most iconic sites!
For this first portion of our sesh, Michelle wore the CUTEST mini dress, made up of shiny white satin and sparkly sequined sleeves that I was in loooove with. Paired with her glittery silver stilettos, pearl earrings, and loose curls, she was ever the stunning bride-to-be! Oh, and don’t even get me started on the criss-cross, corset-style back of this dress… she looked like a princess. Especially next to her Prince Charming, who also went with a subtle, wedding-inspired look with his formal white top & black trousers! These two literally looked incredible against the marble steps of the building and the bright, sunny blue skies above. ☀️
Romantic gondola photos on the Providence River
And down to the river we went for the part of this session we were ALL waiting for: the gondola ride!! Before we arrived, though, I took out my pop-up changing tent (a total game-changer for easy mid-session outfit swaps!) so Michelle & Keith could put on their second outfits. Michelle wore a gorgeous, longer white gown, and Keith swapped his black pants for tan ones—still classy and chic, but a bit more of a fashion statement. So glad they opted for my package that included two outfits, because they looked SO dang stylish during their journey down the river!!
Once we were ready to roll (or ride, in this case), we walked over to the other side of Providence to meet the team of La Gondola, who were phenomenal and wonderful to work with. I can’t recommend them enough if you want to plan your own gondola engagement or couples photos! We hopped in the boat, and Michelle & Keith took out the small bottle of Barefoot Bubbly’s they’d brought to sip on while we enjoyed the scenery. They even gave me a glass, which I appreciated greatly after running around on land to capture the boat from afar!
Midway through our ride, I brought up the idea of taking photos of the gondola from above, on a bridge, and the gondola boat driver was so down—I fully sprinted out of the boat to get shots of them from the bridge, and they turned out SO magical. The bright blue water and the setting sun made this look like a scene straight out of a movie. Shoutout to our gondolier, Ferruccio, for turning the boat around so I could get back in lol!
Want to know what made these photos even better? The fact that Michelle & Keith came fully prepared with killer outfits and accessories—including parasol umbrellas that looked sooo fashionable on the boat. That mixed with her cat-eye sunglasses and Audrey Hepburn-style head scarf? Perfection, 10/10, I was obsessed.
Read this blog next to learn how to choose the perfect outfits for your engagement session, just like these two did!
Kisses & crosswalks at sunset
After we were done with the boat, we ended our session by running around the streets of downtown Providence. The sun was gorgeous, setting behind the buildings, as Michelle and Keith shared some kisses and snuggles along the sidewalks, in the streets, and right in front of the State House, where we’d started.
These two were SO much fun to work with, and I truly love when people have a specific vision for their shoot like this—it’s the best feeling ever to know that I helped make their dream session come true. I have to share a couple of sweet comments that Michelle and Keith left on my Instagram post about their session:
“Such a FUN session! Thank you so much for making my dream engagement photos come to life!!”
“This was an amazing experience, and me and Michelle couldn’t thank you enough for making our engagement photos amazing ☺️”
I even put together a little BTS vlog of their session, and people on TikTok have been LOVING it (no surprise there). Watch it now to see more of how this shoot went down!
Ready for Your Own Downtown Providence Engagement Photos?
If you’re dreaming of downtown Providence engagement photos that feel like a scene out of a romance novel, like Michelle & Keith’s, I would love to help you create that magic! We truly have so many iconic and cinematic spots to choose from, from the blue waters of the Providence River to the elegant marble pillars of the State House. It’s easy to make your engagement feel like the cutest date night ever when you’re exploring this beautiful city.
Inquire with me here to start planning your own unique Providence engagement session!
Want a little more engagement session inspo? Check out this gorgeous Boston Common & Beacon Hill Engagement, featuring vibrant fall colors, a picturesque park walk, and the coziest of beige sweaters.