Alli and AJ

Pickleball Engagement Photos

I was absolutely thrilled when Alli and AJ decided to lean into their favorite hobby for a unique pickleball engagement session in Durham, NC! When your favorite way to spend time together involves a little friendly competition, staying active, and playing games, a traditional portrait session just won’t do!

These two love competing and playing all kinds of games together, so bringing a couple of paddles and hitting the court was the perfect way to capture their playful, genuine connection. They were laughing, serving, and entirely themselves in front of the camera. It was easily one of the most fun and unique ideas for an engagement session I’ve ever photographed! It was also a great reminder that your engagement photos don’t have to look like what everyone else’s!

Your Engagement Session Should Feel Like YOU

If you have a hobby you love doing together, a favorite date-night spot, or something that has become part of your story as a couple, I always encourage you to think outside the box. Whether that means playing pickleball, grabbing coffee at your favorite cafe, exploring a favorite hiking trail, or doing something completely unexpected, incorporating the things you genuinely love can make your photos feel so much more personal.

And for Alli and AJ, their love of pickleball didn’t stop with their engagement session. These two planned an incredible wedding at the historic Hope Valley Country Club in Durham, NC. Since many of their loved ones were traveling from out of town, they wanted to welcome everyone to North Carolina with a celebration that felt completely true to them – a pickleball welcome party!

It was such a thoughtful and fun way to kick off their wedding weekend, give their guests a chance to get to know one another, and introduce everyone to the game they love so much. There may not be a better way to welcome your wedding guests than with a little friendly competition!

Scroll down to check out some of my favorite highlights from this playful afternoon on the pickleball courts!

Interested in booking an engagement photo session? Contact Sarah here!

See more on the blog!

• NC Engagement Photos at Topsail Beach
• Pickleball Engagement Photos in NC
• Senior Photos at Elon University
• Spring Engagement Photos at Duke Gardens | Erin & Cooper
• Durham Engagement Photos at Duke Gardens and Ponysaurus