There are no rules with engagement shoots, so why not play up your personalities and have a little fun? I’m quite the fan of the throwback sessions and use of vintage luggage, especially when it fits so well with the couple. Moral of this short story is to have a little fun.
Image courtesy of Anna Page Photography
Spring and summer are just around the corner!
Image courtesy of Jenna Walker Photography
I love the use of props during an engagement shoot – even if they are little pieces of paper cut out in the shape of hearts.
Image courtesy of k. holly photography
I’m pretty sure the Midwest has gotten more snow this year than it has in the past several years. I’d like to think we haven’t had this much snow since I was in middle school, but that was quite some time ago.
Nicole Green recently took out one of her couples for an snow-filled engagement shoot. If you can’t beat them, join them, right? Well, I guess in this case, if you can’t beat the snow, why not play in it?!
I’m a huge fan of tree lots around the holidays. Like huge.
You see, my sorority happens to have its very own philanthropic center in town, and each year to raise money for the foundation, they run the Shining Light Tree Lot. And, each year I spend a few of my Saturdays (and Sundays) volunteering my time, selling trees and soaking in the fantastic smell that is Christmas Trees.
When I stumbled upon this engagement session by Jenna Walker Photography, I was a bit jealous. Why hadn’t I thought of this? Le sigh. Nonetheless, the couple, Julia and Jacob look like they had a fantastic time. And, I bet they enjoyed their time together (and the smell of the trees) oh so much.
Images courtesy of Jenna Walker Photography
One year ago today, the Pilot proposed to me.
Which reminds me – I’ve never actually told you how he proposed, so here it goes! And, of course, photos are included!!
Last January, we had planned a trip to Colorado for some skiing and to visit some friends of ours. We were both pining for a visit to the Rockies, but the Pilot had a hidden agenda for this trip – a proposal! His initial plan was to propose on the first night while we were out snow tubing. Our flight arrived a bit late, so after driving from DEN to Keystone, a delicious Mexican dinner and countless hours of catching up, we never made it out to go snow tubing.
The Mr. had to come up with “Plan B” – to propose on Saturday while we were on the slopes. Unfortunately, I took a pretty big spill mid-day and was not feeling up to par (Side Note: Always wear a helmet on the slopes – it’s what saved me from getting a concussion).
To an improvised Plan C he went. On Sunday, I decided to take a half-day snowboarding refresher course in the morning. It had been nearly four years since I had last been on the slopes, so I was not game for hurting myself again on Day 2. After dropping me off, the Pilot shared the news with our friends that he was going to propose. They spent the first half of the day skiing/snowboarding and scoping out the perfect spot for him to pop the question.
Mid-afternoon, we all took the Keystone Gondola up to the summit to enjoy some lunch. On the way up, my mom had called to “check in.” Really, she was calling to see what was up. The Pilot had told my parents he was going to propose on Friday, so she was getting antsy as to why I had not called her yet with the news.
This photo was taken just moments before the proposal!
Anyway, after lunch, we all headed back out for our last run of the day. My friend A (who also happens to be a bridesmaid) managed to get my camera from me by offering to get some action shots of me snowboarding down the mountain. By this point, I was still completely clueless, so I offered her my camera so she could snap some photos (all of the photos I had taken up to this point did not have me in them).
Our friends plopped down at the top of run to strap on their snowboards, but I opted to set up on a more flat spot so my snowboard wouldn’t take off down the mountain. Oddly enough, a few weeks prior, I had purchased new snowboard bindings, which had been giving me trouble all weekend, requiring someone to help me strap my boots into my bindings. The Pilot had begun to take off his skis “to help” (or so I thought).
The Pilot about to pop the question!
He sat down next to me (instead of helping me with my bindings) and pulled the ring out of his coat. While all of this is happening, our friends are behind us snapping photos of the proposal, and I’m extremely focused on trying to get my bindings locked. He managed to get my attention and went into a spiel about starting our lives together, most of which I don’t remember (sorry honey!). I started crying and shaking a bit, but of course said “YES!” The sun was setting over Keystone, and my best friend asked me to marry him while we were at the top of the Frenchman ski run. It is definitely a day I will never forget and only strengthened our love for the State of Colorado.
Ring on the finger action.
A snowboard shot of the ring.
The happy couple!
Sunset at Keystone.
Ring shot from the car ride back to our condo.
**All images are personal and taken by a friend.**
To the Pilot – Happy Engage-aversary! And, a big THANKS for picking such a beautiful location to start a new chapter in our lives!
Not only has it been cold in the Midwest, but I haven’t seen the sun in I cannot tell you how long (literally). I used to wear my sunglasses on my drive to work every morning (thanks to sunshine slowdown, for those of you not familiar with morning commutes here in town), but they have been on the table for a couple of weeks now.
I don’t know where I was when this picture was taken, but our fabulous wedding photographer (who I cannot rave enough about – love her) managed to capture the sun on a Winter afternoon. Lucky her. It may have been cold outside at the Citygarden, but the sun graced her presence (and that of that cute couple).
I digress.
I hope you are staying warm on this cold Saturday, Winter day.
Image courtesy of Lisa Hessel Photography
For those of us in the Midwest, it’s cold. Like really cold. It doesn’t help that we keep getting snow (although, I cannot complain, as the East Coast has gotten about 10 times more snow than us). BUT, my point is that we are all dreaming of warmer weather (and if you’re not, you’re crazy, but I still love you as a reader). Stephanie Williams recently featured an engagement session with lots of golden light (in the obviously warm weather), bamboo and a gorgeous couple.
So, for all reasons, I’m jealous. I love bamboo and the warm golden sun. And, who cannot resist an adorable couple?
After all, Valentine’s Day is this weekend. While, I’m not the biggest V-Day fan, I do quite love this engagement session by Stephanie Williams, a San Diego photographer. The bride-to-be loves hearts and wanted to incorporate them into their session. It turned out great, and very sweet, too.
Image courtesy of Stephanie Williams
How will you spend your Valentine’s Day?
Because it’s the weekend and we got a bit of snow last night, I wanted to share the latest engagement shoot from bobbi + mike.
It was a chilly day, but full of snow, in Chicago. The couple dove in head first and used the snow to their advantage.
Image courtesy of bobbi + mike
Check out more of the session here.
