Dartmouth Beach Engagement

For their engagement session, Elizabeth and Mac introduced me to a little hidden gem of a private beach in Dartmouth called Barneys Joy Beach. It’s tucked away at the end of a long and winding dirt road through farm land, and it’s so hidden that as you’re driving along it doesn’t even seem like you’re near the ocean until you just pop out there at the end. It’s the kind of magical New England beach with tall green grasses, high sand dunes, and little wooden planked walkways. We met up towards the beginning of June and since Mac is also a teacher, it was that time in the year where you can taste summer and you really NEED summer. These two met through a mutual friend and have been together going on five years now. Their engagement story reminded me so much of mine own, picking out the ring together before the summer and then Mac asking her to marry him at the end of August at nearby Anthony Beach. We practiced their first dance, talked about their coming move to the area (and after visiting the beach I can totally understand why!) and all things wedding. Elizabeth is an oil painter (you see her beautiful work here) and is designing so many of the details herself. I loved their approach to the planning – anything that felt stressful they cut. I can’t recommend this advice to couples enough! Make the day what you want and not what you think you’re suppose do to. They’re getting married at the end of this week at Round The Bend Farm and it’s going to be such a relaxed, joyful celebration of them and their closest people. Plus, there will be s’mores and ice cream sandwiches, so what more could you want?