Rose Haven Heritage Garden Engagement Session
Katherine + Paul are the SWEETEST couple! I met them through Avensole Winery, and was so honored when they chose me to be their Temecula wedding photographer! They’re from the LA area, and were willing to come to Temecula for their engagement session. We had their session at Rose Haven Heritage Garden, a beautiful setting in Temecula. It’s one of my favorite options with color, trees, and lots of variety in a small space! I’m so excited for their Avensole Winery wedding!
I absolutely loved how they chose to dress for their session! I get lots of questions about what to wear, and I always say that looking coordinated but not matching is exactly right! In this case, Katherine and Paul knocked it out of the park! I loved how Paul’s navy suit complemented Katherine’s patterned blue-and-white dress!
To jump to more info on Rose Haven Heritage Park, click here!
I’ll say it now, I’ll say it forever: I do not work with models! I work with real couples. A lot of a session is getting to know a couple, as we’re usually meeting for the first time! Every couple is a little anxious, but you never need to worry about “posing” as I’m your guide through the entire process!
As if I’m not already short enough, I’m always looking for opportunities to make photos more interesting! In this case, it was crawling behind a rosebush to get some foreground interest. Hey, anything for the shot!
Session start times are typically an hour and a half before sunset…we get to get comfortable with each other while the sun is a bit high in the sky, and then take advantage of the gorgeous golden light near the end of the session!
Hello mountain views! One of my favorite parts of living in Temecula! At just the right time the mountains behind the park simply glow! Thank you to Katherine + Paul for an incredible session!
More Info on Engagement Photos at Rose Haven Heritage Garden
Rose Haven Heritage Garden is one of my favorite places in Temecula to take photos! The primary reason is the garden-style setting offers a beautiful variety of backgrounds and color – even during months where it’s very hot in Temecula and everything has faded to a lovely brown-green!
Location
Rose Haven Heritage Garden is located at 30592 Jedediah Smith Road, Temecula, CA 92592.
History
The garden is maintained by the Temecula Rose Society. You can find out more information on their website.
Permit
The Rose Haven Heritage Garden requires a permit. I maintain a permit year-round to take advantage of the garden setting for engagement photos.
Garden Features
Rose Haven Heritage Garden has some beautiful features which make it unique to the Temecula area. The garden is enclosed with a white wood fence. There are over 1,600 botanical plants in the garden, as well as trees, benches, gazebos, and a small pond feature surrounded by boulders. The west-facing portion of the garden backs up to a large hillside which makes for a lovely backdrop for sunset photos. The various florals in the garden are not only great backdrops, but filter the light beautifully during our engagement session.
Hours
The garden is open sunrise to sunset. I plan to start my sessions about an hour and half before the sun sets. This allows us to get great light filtering through the trees and plants, and near the end of the session, a mountain backdrop lit by the setting sun.
Parking
There’s a small parking lot located off of Jedediah Smith Rd. You can also park along the fence located on Cabrillo Rd.
Restrooms
There are NO restrooms on-site. I recommend stopping somewhere in advance if you have to go to the restroom. This plaza has restrooms in a few different locations. It’s a 3 minute drive to the garden from Chevron.
If you’re bringing more than one outfit for your engagement session, I would recommend being prepared to change in your car.
What to Wear
I recommend bringing 1-2 outfits. A long dress is a universally flattering look and wearing a long skirt gives you something to “play” with during your session, as well as looking amazing when wind comes along! For guys, a classic look is a button-up shirt and jeans or khakis. Because the garden is a more casual setting, I recommend keeping your outfits on the casual site – leave the tuxes and stilettos at home! Also, keep in mind that the ground is a dirt path for the most part. You’ll want to wear some shoes that are more sturdy and can handle going up and down an incline.
Wedding Resources & Articles
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