I'm the owner + photographer at Anne Casey Photography — serving Maryland & Pennsylvania

Valerie and Mike’s Cloister’s Castle Engagement Session

Valerie, Mike and I took a trip to Cloister’s Castle for their fall engagement session! I had such a fun time shooting their engagement photos in such a unique setting and loved that they wanted something different for their location. We had a blast and Mike and Val were such great sports. They were up for anything! I can’t wait for their fall wedding coming up this October.

Cloister’s Castle has so many cool and unique spaces that Val, Mike and I explored during our session. Built in 1932, the gothic mansion houses repurposed elements from old European estates collected by the original owners to make the space feel more authentically gothic. The spiral staircase that we used for some photos was dreamy! It really made the shoot feel like a fairy tale. (The suits of armor didn’t hurt either! We couldn’t pass up a photo op with them.)

After spending just an hour with them for their consultation, I felt like I had two new friends! Val and Mike are a perfect balance; Val is sweet, bubbly and energetic while Mike is stoic and a little more reserved. We talked about our favorite tv shows, tattoos, and everything in between. They are planning an October fall wedding, and are having an elegant, classic mansion wedding with touches of dark grey, emerald green, and gold. Emerald green is such a perfect color for fall weddings. It’s unique enough that it’s not the go-to color that pops to mind when thinking about fall weddings (like wine or eggplant purple), and it’s a dark, rich color that pops against neutral accents.

Mike and Val have been together for over ten years and their love for each other is obvious. Mike was diagnosed with brain cancer and Val was by his side during his recovery. Their relationship grew stronger after their experience, and they are more than ready to be married!