Marian Coffin Gardens Engagement Session | Jenna + Jack | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
There is a small historic garden tucked into Wilmington's Highlands neighborhood that most couples drive past without knowing it exists. As a Wilmington engagement photographer, the Marian Coffin Gardens at Gibraltar is one of the locations I keep coming back to. Jenna and Jack's September evening there is a good example of why.
They wanted something private and unhurried, with no crowds and no long list of setups. Gibraltar sold them because it does not look like anywhere else in the area. It is formal without being stiff, and small enough to move through in a single evening.
The gardens were designed in 1916 by Marian Cruger Coffin and are the most intact surviving example of her work. Across about six acres you get a marble staircase, an evergreen terrace, a reflecting pool, a formal flower garden, and a bald cypress allée. Plenty of variety without ever getting back in the car.
Early September is one of my favorite stretches of the year. Sunset landed around 7:25, putting us in golden hour from about 6:40 on, with the late summer plantings still full. The stonework is what makes that hour work here, throwing warm light back up from below as well as behind.
Something I tell every couple is that an engagement session is not really about the photos. It is about getting the awkward part over with while the stakes are low. Halfway through the evening, Jenna and Jack stopped thinking about where their hands were and started just being with each other. That shift is the whole point.
By their wedding day, I will not be a stranger with a camera during the most emotional hours of their life. They know how I work, and I know what makes them laugh.
If you are planning a Wilmington or Delaware engagement session with real history and no crowds, Gibraltar is worth a look. See more in my Engagement Galleries or read how I approach the full day on my weddings page. I photograph couples across Philadelphia, the Main Line, Delaware County, Chester County, Bucks County, South Jersey, and Wilmington DE. Reach out here.
