San Francisco Engagement Photos at the Palace of Fine Arts

The Palace of Fine Arts is an absolutely breathtaking location for your engagement photos in San Francisco!

Lynette and Eric’s San Francisco engagement photos were extra special to me because Eric is my brother-in-law! They met at a ministry event several years ago, and got back in touch at the beginning of the pandemic. Eric is well known in Fresno for his work with several nonprofits in town. He took the lockdown time in Spring 2020 to network with different individuals who he thought could be interested in volunteering. He had remembered Lynette from the ministry event, and they set a time to meet via Zoom. One Zoom call quickly turned into three before Eric decided to take the plunge and ask Lynette out.

My husband, Kyle, later recalled a conversation with Eric after their first Zoom call. Eric had mentioned meeting with someone who was really kind, intelligent, and passionate about serving her community. The conversation went something like this:

“I just met with someone who would be a great volunteer! She’s super smart, nice, and has such a deep passion for service. I hope she doesn’t decide to volunteer, though.” – Eric

“Why not? She sounds like the perfect volunteer!” – Kyle

“Well, if she decides to volunteer then I can’t date her.” – Eric

Needless to say, the rest is history! A few months into dating, Lynette left Fresno to pursue a ministry opportunity that allowed her to cares for and help transition recently deported migrants in Guatemala City, Guatemala. Lynette and Eric made the long distance work with lots of Zoom movie nights, and a few trips to Guatemala. Eric used one of those trips to hike up a volcano with Lynette and propose just as the sun rose.

Lynette and Eric’s love is absolutely incredible, and a testament to God’s hand in our lives. It was an honor to capture their engagement photos, and I cannot wait for their wedding day this October!

Lynette brought a few different outfit so she had some choices when it came time for the engagement photos. After spending a few minutes in the pink dress, she made the tradition to a floral blue, mid-length gown.

Can we just take a moment to appreciate the architecture for this engagement session at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco?

I absolutely love history – I actually have an associate’s degree in it. So I had to do some research into the original purpose of the building!

The Place of Fine Arts was originally constructed to showcase brilliant works of art for the Panama-Pacific International Exposition. This event was a world fair that took place in San Francisco back in 1915, less than ten years after a destructive earthquake and subsequent fire destroyed most of the city. The project was designed to show the future of the world as it could be. Additionally, the world fair was to demonstrate that a rebuilt San Francisco could became an international city. While most of the temporary buildings were torn down after the world fair, San Francisco residents agreed this one was too beautiful to destroy.

The Palace of Fine Arts League, a 501(c)3 non-profit, was established in 1962 to manage and restore the Palace of Fine Arts. With the help of many in the city, the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre opened in 1970 and continues today to showcase the rich, cultural fabric of San Francisco.

We finished their engagement session with one last outfit change just as the sun was dipping behind the horizon! This effect is known in photography as blue hour and added to the dramatic effect of Lynette’s last outfit change.

Lynette and Eric, thank you for choosing me to document such an important time in your lives! This was such a fun trip to take together, and the memories we made are so dear to me. Lynette, I cannot wait for you to join our family!

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