Meg and Nick had their engagement shoot at Nick’s family’s machine shop. When scheduling their engagement session before their wedding, sending dates and locations back and fourth, I was thrilled when I got an email from them before the shoot saying that they were deciding between “our backyard, a toy store, his parent’s machine shop…” I knew we were going to have a blast at either location. I had never met the bride or groom before this shoot but soon realized they have a magnetic energy that stands out, and it was very easy to connect with them.

Before work one morning, we all headed over to the machine shop and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was up for the challenge of doing their engagement photography in a location that was significant to them. Inside the shop, the rhythmic sounds of machines making parts, the flicker of the fluorescent overhead bulbs, and the smell of machine oil loaded all my senses. It turns out, some of the machines at Nick’s family’s shop are old Swiss machines and Meg grew up in Switzerland. Meg is Irish, and the couple will be getting married at an Italian Catholic church. Their upcoming wedding (in about four weeks!) will have European influences.

Nick lead us around in various rooms, to the attic, on the rooftop and outdoors around the building. The raw, industrial nature of the facility provided a one of a kind background for the beautiful couple’s photos.

Spaces like these are a nice contrast and when you look at the couple in engagement shoots like these their beauty stands out. Sometimes you get a little dirty (I got oil on my hands) but it makes it all worth it. As a wedding photographer, are some of my favorite types of engagement photography locations.