Michelle and Sal’s Paletta Mansion engagement photos were some of the smoothest Burlington engagements I did that fall. I’ve already blogged about their wedding in “A Photographer’s Guide to Waterstone Estates and Farms Weddings”, where I shared an extensive description of my experience working with them.

This time, I wanted to focus on their Paletta Mansion engagement photos and the fun we had on that beautiful, sunny, and warm fall day.

The Planning Process of These Paletta Mansion Engagement Photos

When Sal, short for Salvatore, called me about wedding photography, it was a bit unconventional—most of the time, it’s the bride-to-be who reaches out with all the details ready. That’s not to say I haven’t planned weddings with the groom-to-be, but in reality, it happens far less often.

Sal had an idea and wanted to see if it could become a reality. He had recently bought a new Corvette and wanted to incorporate it into the engagement session we were planning. Naturally, the places he could drive it were limited—the car is very low and couldn’t be taken to remote locations.

With that in mind, he asked for my feedback on a location that would offer easy car access, greenery and gardens, a lake, and architecture that would complement it. I immediately knew the perfect spot: Paletta Mansion.

Paletta Mansion, along with nearby Lakeview Park in Burlington, is one of my top five all-time locations, thanks to its versatile backgrounds and incredible photography opportunities. I’ve photographed weddings, family sessions, engagements, and branded sessions there, and I was excited to share this one-of-a-kind location with Sal and Michelle.

I shared some of my previous sessions with Sal to give him a sense of the possibilities, and they were thrilled that we could use them for their Paletta Mansion engagement photos.

Fall Engagement Photography in Burlington

Once we settled on the location, the next decision was the time of day. I knew we had to pick a weekday because the mansion is fully booked for weddings on weekends, and even if it weren’t, it would be busy. At the same time, I wanted to shoot around golden hour, since this location offers stunning views as the sun sets behind the mansion. With that in mind, we decided to meet around 4 pm and work from there.

I knew the car would be important, but I didn’t want to jump straight into those photos. Michelle and Sal needed some time to loosen up and acclimate to the location, my photography style, and the overall engagement session process.

Having photographed many engagements at Paletta Mansion, I know around 20 unique spots where I can capture photos in 2–3 different ways, depending on the time of day. I chose to start with the banisters and gradually work our way toward the lakefront area. This approach gave Michelle and Sal room to adjust to me, as I stayed at least 30–50 feet away at first.

As we got started, I could see them slowly but surely enjoying the process. They became more intuitive with every direction I gave. Michelle was naturally shy, but her gentle presence drew Sal in, and soon they were enjoying every single shot I captured.

Paletta Mansion Engagement Photos by The Lake

As we slowly made our way toward the lakefront, I stopped at as many photo spots as possible, capturing some beautiful shots along the way. When we arrived at one of the benches overlooking the lake, I chose to showcase the mansion behind it rather than the water—a spectacular view.

With so much experience shooting on this waterfront, I knew I could capture some amazing golden-hour photos on the beach and around the large boulders that break the waves.

While photographing them, I noticed tattoos on their lower arms, between the elbows and wrists, with the word kismet, meaning fate or destiny. I asked about its significance so I could thoughtfully incorporate it into their Paletta Mansion engagement photos.

Michelle shared their story: they had known each other in the past, but life took them down different paths. They married others, separated, and eventually reconnected through Facebook. Now, here we were, capturing their engagement photos. As she said, it was truly kismet that they were meant to be together. I was familiar with the word in my own Macedonian language, where it carries the same meaning and is of Turkish origin.

With this story in mind, I began taking photos that highlighted the tattoos—giving them significance without letting them dominate the session.

The Corvette Photos with Kissmet License Plates

As we made our way back to the front of the mansion, I asked Sal to bring his Corvette so we could start taking some photos with it. By then, the sun was already hiding behind the large trees at Paletta Mansion, giving us the perfect light to work in front of the mansion. To our luck, there was no one around—not at the mansion or the park—which made it even better.

When Sal drove up, I noticed his license plate read ‘Kissmet’ and immediately started planning how to incorporate it, along with their tattoos, into the shots. Since the Corvette is very low, I had no choice but to pose them on the ground next to the exhaust, which I was able to frame beautifully. This allowed me to showcase everything they wanted—and a little extra.

Once I had enough photos highlighting the symbols of their story, I shifted to creating more dramatic images of the Corvette. I had both of them inside the car and captured low-light reflections on their faces while everything outside was dark. The results were stunning and gave their Paletta Mansion engagement photos the perfect finish.

Thank you so much, Michelle and Sal, for sharing your love story with me and trusting me to document these precious memories. It was an absolute pleasure smiling and laughing with you throughout the session.

Check this engagement session of Serena and Kyle at Paletta Mansion. View our post “Should you include your family pet in your summer engagement photos? for some inspiration if you like to bring your dog for your upcoming Paletta Mansion engagement photos.