Kate + Adam | Trexler Nature Preserve Fall Engagement Session | Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
I’m so excited to share Kate and Adam’s engagement session! I was absolutely thrilled when they were referred to me by another couple of mine - Ally and Dan! Ally and Dan are so fun and kind - and are just all-around incredible human beings - so I knew that their good friends would be a perfect fit for me and my wedding day approach. The first time I met Kate and Adam in person was actually at Ally and Dan’s wedding - and I assure you, they heated up that dance floor all night. The heat continued when we captured their engagement session just a few days later at Trexler Nature Preserve! It’s a good thing they were there to keep each other warm, because that water they splashed around in was super chilly! I know, I walked through it myself to capture the incredible moments with my cameras! LOL
I’m kicking off my 2022 wedding season with Kate and Adam in just a few days! I’m so excited to see Ally and Dan again, and I can’t wait to reunite with all of them on the dance floor. (I just realized I never blogged Ally and Dan’s session, so I’m going to rectify that soon! Oops!)
Serenity + Tony | Longwood Gardens Engagement Session | Philadelphia Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Longwood Gardens, located in Kennett Square, is one of my absolute favorite places to visit. It is stunning at any time of year, and no experience is ever quite the same. Whenever I am there, my troubles melt away and I find myself at peace, my stressors temporarily forgotten. I have had a personal membership for years, and would often visit alone to photograph my favorite orchids, waterlilies, seasonal flowers, fountains, and resident cats. Last year, I decided to upgrade my membership so that I could share that joy with my clients. I started offering sessions at Longwood Gardens, and boy did people respond! I had so many incredible photoshoots there during 2020 and already in 2021 (I lost count at 30).
One of my favorites was with this fun couple, Serenity and Tony. Their May wedding will be here before we know it! I had such a great time getting to know them better at this session. Mother Nature was a bit fickle that day, and surprised us with a misty, foggy morning. Honestly, I think the photos came out even better because of it.
Without any further hesitation, I present the incredibly fun and in-love Serenity and Tony. (Serenity’s hat is pretty awesome, too.)
Amanda + Jeff | White Cliffs of Conoy Engagement Session | Central Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
I met up with Amanda and Jeff in September to capture their engagement session and celebrate their upcoming wedding. The White Cliffs of Conoy, located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania along the Susquehanna River, made the perfect backdrop for their portraits on this beautiful (and HOT!) afternoon! It’s a 1.6 mile walk to get to the stunning overlook, and we were “gifted” 90+ degree sunny weather that afternoon. Amanda came prepared with a portable fan - and a bottle of cold champagne! Amanda and Jeff had such great chemistry during this session, and I absolutely love how their photos turned out. I’m so looking forward to photographing their wedding at the Barn at Silverstone next April. Congratulations again, you two!
Kait + Ruki | Biltmore Estate Surprise Proposal | Asheville, North Carolina Wedding Photographer
Are you looking for a heartwarming story during this crazy time? If so, keep reading - you won’t be disappointed!
A few months ago, Kaitlin mentioned to Haruki (who happens to be my brother-in-law) that it would be great if I came down this summer to update their family portraits. (Ruki has two children from a previous marriage, and they adore Kait with all their hearts!) Ruki agreed, and the gears were instantly set into motion for the most amazing surprise proposal. Ruki figured that Kait would have no idea this was being planned, as she was the one who initiated it all. (And he wasn’t wrong!) Ruki reached out to me again once he asked Kait’s parents for their permission to propose to their daughter, and after he acquired the perfect ring to symbolize his love for Kait. This was all going to take place at their favorite spot in Asheville, the Biltmore Estate. We picked a date, and it was all set! Or so we thought…
Covid stuck around a bit longer than expected, public venues were closing, and travel was becoming more difficult. At the same time, my husband received notice that he was selected for jury duty during the same time as our planned visit. On top of that, hurricane season was upon us. We started to question if this might happen the way we had planned. As the date approached, the Biltmore Estate was allowing visitors again, and jury duty was postponed. And, it looked like the most recent hurricane was going to miss us. Throughout all of this, Ruki had arranged for Kait’s parents to visit at the same time, to surprise Kait and share this special day with them. They arrived the night before the photoshoot was planned, and were secretly staying in a neighbor’s guest house. Everything was officially set.
However, Mother Nature decided to throw one last curveball our way. We had originally planned for a sunset photoshoot, but the forecast showed thunderstorms all afternoon. So, the night before, we quickly rearranged things and aimed for a morning session instead. If the weather apps were correct, we had about a 2-hour window of no rain after the Biltmore opened for the day. We had to make it work one way or the other. There would be no rescheduling. Rain or shine, this was happening the next morning!
The day of the shoot had arrived. Kait’s parents got to Biltmore a few minutes before we did, and hid out of Kait’s view. We arrived shortly after and walked to Ruki and Kait’s favorite spot, which provides the most amazing view of the mansion. We got everyone into place, and our “family photoshoot” began. After I snapped a few portraits of the four of them, Ruki took the ring box out of his back pocket and dropped to one knee. Kait’s look of surprise as she started realizing what was happening was so amazing to witness. I am getting goosebumps again just thinking about it! Ruki asked her to marry him, and of course SHE SAID YES!!! The kids were excited as well! (They were actually in on the secret and didn’t spill the beans!) Her tears of joy, surprise, and LOVE were flowing!
As Kait started walking up the hill, she spotted her parents approaching from a distance. She recognized them immediately, and the tears arrived all over again. Kait and her parents hadn’t seen each other since November, and it meant so much to her to have them there. We had brought Ruki’s mom with us, so she was there as well. Their presence made this day even more perfect. (Great job, Ruki!)
After Kait’s mascara was fixed and everyone’s adrenaline settled a bit, we continued with our photoshoot. The rain arrived a little earlier than we had expected, but it didn’t even matter. We kept on photographing through it all. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect day - not even a torrential downpour. (We took a break during the heaviest rain and rewarded ourselves with some incredible Biltmore ice cream!)
I’m so happy for Kait and Ruki, and I’m honored that I was able to capture these moments for them. Most of all, I’m glad that they each found their perfect person. They deserve all the happiness in the world! This was the best surprise-proposal-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-and-hurricane ever! Congratulations again, Kait and Ruki. And welcome to the family (officially), Kait! Big thanks to my daughters and husband for their help throughout all of this. Fun fact: This proposal took place on Kait’s parents’ 47th wedding anniversary - and on their wedding day, it rained right after the ceremony and portraits took place, just like today!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together. Grab some tissues!
Taylor + Storm | Reinhart's Christmas Tree Farm Engagement Session | Berks County Wedding Photographer
Taylor and Storm are getting married next fall at Reinhart’s Barn. So, they thought that Reinhart’s Christmas Tree Farm would be the perfect backdrop for the engagement session! And, I couldn’t agree more. It was a bit chilly that day, but after rescheduling once due to torrential rains, there’s no way we were missing this opportunity to squeeze their session in before the official start of winter. In spite of the wind and cold temps that afternoon, the light was stunning and we had the venue all to ourselves - except for the adorable farm animals that also call that place their home.
Here are a few of my favorites from their photoshoot. I’m so excited for their wedding next September!! Congrats again, Taylor and Storm!
Lindsay + Anthony (+ Khaleesi) | Toms River Engagement Session | New Jersey Wedding Photographer
Last weekend, I drove to Toms River, New Jersey for my last engagement session of 2019! At this time of year, it’s more common for me to be snowboarding in the mountains than photographing on the beach, but I was so excited to finally meet Lindsay, Anthony, and their dog Khaleesi, that I didn’t mind sacrificing a snow day. And, it paid off! We were gifted the most amazing weather and light, especially for December!! It was a bit chilly, but everyone rolled with it like champs.
On my way to their house, I passed this wooded area next to an elementary school that caught my eye. I asked them if they would mind if we started the session there, and they agreed to it without hesitation. (I love when my clients trust my crazy visions!) We stopped there for a few minutes, and let Khaleesi sniff around and get comfortable with me and my camera. (By the way, she is such a fantastic dog, with a heartwarming rescue story. Maybe I’ll tell more of that once their wedding day rolls around…)
Next, we headed to a beach area just down the road from their house. It had the most amazing lighting and was surrounded by tall grasses. This little spot really is a photographer’s dream! The best part is that this area is meaningful to Lindsay and Anthony. They visit this park often, and Anthony proposed to Lindsay on the bench on the dock just a few months earlier!
This was not only my last engagement session of the year, but one of my favorites as well. We made a great team, and I love how all of the images turned out. I am so looking forward to their wedding next fall!!
Congratulations again, Lindsay and Anthony! I hope you love these images as much as I do…
Kelly + Aron | Lehigh Valley Engagement Session | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Kelly and Aron’s engagement session blog was another victim of my crazy fall season… and I’m making up for it now! We met up at a family property in the Lehigh Valley this past fall and spent the evening laughing together (and picking a few of the neighbor’s flowers) under some incredible Golden Hour light. I know their November wedding is going to be so much fun to photograph, and I can’t wait! Congratulations again, Kelly and Aron, and I promise not to slack so badly on your wedding day blog when that time rolls around.
Miranda + Tom | Wissahickon Park Engagement Session | Philadelphia Wedding Photographer
Miranda and I met virtually a few months ago via The Wedding Connection Facebook group when she was in search of her wedding photographer. During her consultation, I knew we would make a great team! We decided to meet up at Wissahickon Park in Philadelphia for their engagement session. Miranda and Tom were great sports and were open to hiking (and climbing) wherever I asked them to - including over rock walls and on top of waterfalls.
I love their energy, positive vibe, and fun personalities. As an added bonus, Miranda works at a Kitten Cafe and has amazing tattoos! I’m not-so-secretly hoping the kittens find a way of crashing her and Tom’s wedding next year.
Here are a few of my favorite photos from their engagement session last weekend!
(Big thanks to my husband for going along, carrying my gear, and making sure we didn’t get hit by cars, slip on rocks, or drown in waterfalls!)
Meghan + Sean | Philadelphia Zoo Engagement Session | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
I messed up. Big time. This fall was so busy with weddings, portraits, and PhD work that I completely missed blogging a few incredible sessions!! (I could have sworn that I blogged this one - but it turns out that I didn’t.) I have a few weeks of down time while I wait for feedback on my dissertation draft, so I’m going to make it right - starting now.
When Meghan and Sean reached out to me about photographing their New Year’s Eve wedding in Delaware this coming winter, I was thrilled! We clicked right away and I knew we would make a great team. But then they asked me if we could photograph their engagement session at the Philadelphia Zoo, and I got even more excited!
This is a couple that loves animals, colors, and most of all - having fun! Their engagement session was part photoshoot, part just hanging out at the zoo reminiscing about my childhood. I had such a blast that day, and I love being able to look through their images all over again. There happened to be about 2,356,418 kids visiting the zoo on field trips that day, but we still managed to get a bunch of great shots. We even had some school kids controlling pedestrian traffic for us!
Congratulations again, Meghan and Sean. I am so, so, so excited for your wedding this New Year’s Eve!!
