Emily & Dustin: A Honeymoon Evening in Rome

We met for the first time right in front of the Colosseum, and I think it's safe to say I was delighted to see how sharp these two looked. It was mid-spring, the light was doing that golden, generous thing it does in Italy, and Emily and Dustin showed up looking gorgeous and ready to be photographed.

Dancing by the Colosseum

Emily and Dustin had a quiet ceremony back home in Northwest Arkansas, then did what any newly married couple deserves to do: They splurged. A real honeymoon, a real trip to Italy, and somewhere in the middle of it, they carved out an evening for a session with me. Lucky me!

It was a warm evening, the kind where you can feel summer waiting just around the corner, but they'd dressed exactly right. Emily in a cream silk dress that fit her beautifully, Dustin in beige trousers and a crisp white collared shirt. Neutral, timeless, and perfectly suited to the city around them. No competing with Rome, just complementing it.

Couple looking at each other in front of a flower-filled bush

Couple standing and looking at each other

couple at giardino degli aranci looking at each other

We walked. A lot. Rome has a way of making you want to stop every few feet, because there's truly no bad backdrop. Every street corner, every crumbling wall, every patch of golden stone looks like it was built specifically for photographs. We spent a good stretch of time near the Colosseum, soaking in that unmistakable backdrop, before heading toward the Giardino degli Aranci for some skyline shots.

Except Rome had other plans. We arrived to find an actual film crew set up and mid-shoot, which meant our quiet garden moment turned into a polite, slightly amused retreat. No problem, this is Rome, and as I mentioned, beauty is never in short supply. We found a shaded, slightly secluded trail nearby that gave us privacy, dappled light, and some of my favorite images from the entire evening.

Couple dancing

couple looking at each other

Husband standing in front of bride holding hands

couple holding hands and walking away

intimate moment between newlyweds

dip with husband and wife

By that point, we'd walked what felt like half the city, and I could tell Dustin had quietly entered survival mode, the kind of polite endurance where a person is still smiling for every photo while internally wishing to be miles away and in Dustin's case, probably with a nice pasta dish in front of him. I respect his attitude so much. This guy never once complained, even as I kept saying "just one more spot" for the fourth time.

And there was indeed one more spot I couldn't skip: the Capitoline Hill. It's so classically, unmistakably Rome that I wanted Emily and Dustin to have those images forever. Something they could look back on years from now and feel instantly transported back to that warm spring evening, tired feet and all.

Dustin and Emily at Capitoline Hill

Emily and Dustin, thank you for trusting me with such a special evening during your honeymoon. Rome is one of my favorite cities in the world, and getting to photograph the two of you against that backdrop, at that point in your story, was nothing short of a gift. May your marriage continue to be just like those sweet glances you shared all evening - joyful, steady, and warm like a spring Roman sunset.

Bride's shoes walking down the stairs

Couple kissing at Capitoline Hill

Couple by the Colosseum

Husband dipping wife

Bride sitting on stairs

Couple at Capitoline Hill

Couple holding hands at Capitoline Hill

Bride leaning head on groom's shoulder

Couple by the Colosseum

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