Timing is everything when it comes to the perfect fall Charlottesville engagement session. And we nailed it for Merriam and Garry’s session! The trees along the Monticello trail gave us such a beautiful display of fall’s beauty that day, all the way up to their venue at Montalto.  It can always be tricky to time a fall engagement session since the leaves change colors so rapidly and at different times every year. 

A great resource for this is the Fall Foliage Map put together by Virginia is For Lovers. In Charlottesville, peak fall foliage is typically in the last week of October, give or take a week earlier or later. The leaves change a little faster in the mountains to the west. So if you’re dreaming of a Ravens Roost engagement session, I would err on the side of going earlier.

Merriam and Garry share a love for hiking, and walking along the Monticello trail was a big part of their relationship. Having their fall Charlottesville engagement session at the trail was the perfect fit for their outdoor engagement session. Throughout their engagement session, the laughter and pure joy was contagious!  

The venue at the top, Montalto, is where Merriam and Garry are celebrating their wedding in May. It’s the same place that they first met, many years ago at a Z Society Reunion. It was a dark and stormy night, but that didn’t stop them from dancing the night away together! After the event, Merriam was leaving for Shanghai to visit a friend for a couple of weeks. Merriam and Garry were texting each other frequently when her friend encouraged them to start facetiming one another, so that’s what they did.

They continued with years of long distance before settling down together in Atlanta, and are very excited to see their friends and families come together for their wedding in the spring. I can’t wait to return to Montalto for their upcoming wedding!

 

newly engaged couple walking together at montalto fall charlottesville engagement session

man and woman hugging during fall charlottesville engagement session

man kissing woman's cheek during fall charlottesville engagement photos at Montalto

man and woman hugging in the forested areas of Montalto

man embracing woman and looking at her smiling while woman looks over shoulder smiling

newly engaged couple kissing in montalto fall charlottesville engagement session

woman on man's back during fall charlottesville engagement session

black and white image of newly engaged couple laughing together

woman on man's back during outdoor engagement session

man holding woman during outdoor engagement session

detail shot of emerald engagement ring on orange autumn leaf

engaged couple hugging during outdoor session at Montalto

man and woman hugging and laughing

woman looking at camera as man nuzzles her cheek

woman wearing emerald green dress during fall charlottesville engagement session woman posing with hand on hip during engagements

man wearing cream sweater and navy pants during outdoor engagement session man wearing cream sweater looking at camera and laughing

man and woman walking hand in hand in green field

man lifting woman up and holding her

man and woman holding champagne glasses at end of session

man and woman toasting champagne glasses

emerald engagement ring sitting on leaf for detail shot

man and woman sitting on steps during outdoor fall charlottesville engagement session

man and woman sitting together on steps during fall charlottesville engagement session

newly engaged couple holding one another during sunset engagement pictures

Looking for more engagement inspiration? Check out my top Charlottesville wedding venues, here

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Fall Charlottesville Engagement Session // Merriam + Garry // Monticello Trail

man lifting woman up and holding her