Summer Blooms: Wildflower Engagement Session at McCarthy Park
Golden light, waist-high wildflowers, and two people who could not stop laughing. That’s how this wildflower engagement session at McCarthy Youth & Conservation Park in Cottage Grove started, and it only got better from there.
Wildflowers, Golden Hour, and Zero Awkwardness
McCarthy Park in August is something else. The fields are packed with color, purple and yellow and white, all tangled together in tall grasses that catch the late sun in a way that makes our job almost unfairly easy. We timed this session for golden hour, and the payoff was immediate. Every direction we turned had a backdrop we wanted to shoot.
These two were completely at ease from the first frame. No stiffness, no overthinking it. They just existed together in that field, and we stayed close enough to catch it. The laughter was constant, the kind where one person starts and the other can’t help but follow. That energy is what makes a session feel real instead of performed, and honestly, it’s when we do our best work.
If you’re considering summer engagement photos, McCarthy Park is one of those spots we come back to again and again. The wildflower window is narrow (a few weeks in late July through August), but if you time it right, there is nothing else like it in the Madison area. We pulled in tight for some frames and shot wide for others, letting the flowers fill the edges. Both approaches worked because the setting does so much of the heavy lifting. Check out more of our couples and engagement work to see what we mean.
When is the best time for wildflower engagement photos at McCarthy Park?
The wildflower peak at McCarthy Youth & Conservation Park typically hits in late July through mid-August. We recommend booking your session during that window and scheduling for about an hour before sunset. The combination of golden hour light and full blooms is hard to beat.
How do we book a couples or engagement session with Twig & Olive?
Just reach out through our contact page and tell us a little about yourselves and what you’re envisioning. We’ll help you choose a location and timing that works for the look you want.
