I was super stoked for this lil woodland shoot and initially had the wind blown straight from my sails! I hit the highway and was greeted by a seriously HUGE storm right over our location! (I’m not particularly a fan of lightning)… I called to see how Alissa + Blake felt about shooting their engagement directly under this storm, assuming they would want to reschedule or change location or something!? Their response? “Let’s go for it! We love the rain anyway!” Did I mention that I HATE LIGHTNING?! (Alissa helped by pouring me some champagne!) They were ready to shoot rain or shine and that melted my heart. Their willingness to go with the flow was totally inspiring! After I checked out the first few shots, I immediately knew that even perfect weather wouldn’t have mattered at all… All you can see in these photos is -CHEMISTRY- And I love it!!
Alissa and Blake met in 2012 at work. He was her manager and for the first month or two they only spoke about the job. This was until Blake overheard Alissa having a conversation about quantum physics and he had to jump in. That’s right. Their first non-work related convo was about quantum physics. WHO KNEW?! These two decided to hang out and discuss a documentary… And the rest is a love story! YAY!! Alissa and Blake became inseparable but remained weary to fall in love, as Blake was scheduled to move to Central America in October. Knowing they would eventually have to say goodbye… they spent their summer together camping, reading books about consciousness, talking quantum physics, staring into the sky (B is pretty well informed about all things space) and pretending not to fall for each other. After a few months of trying to avoid it, they had to admit what they were -soul mates- and Blake demoted himself at work so they could date publicly (Can we awwwww here!?). They spent the first few months of their relationship in the US and then it was time for Blake to head out to Central America. So they made a deal- If Alissa went on the trip with him, Blake would move back to the states with her. And so it went! They spent the first 3 months of their relationship in the states and the second 3 traveling through Central America. No matter the location or country, these two spend their time the same; exploring, reading, star gazing, camping, LOTS of card playing and being totally in L O V E!!!
Alissa and Blake wanted their shoot to embody the natural state of their relationship and remain true to who they are as a couple. This is why we chose their favorite campsite in Pine Log state forest for this rainy day engagement shoot! We wanted to include what they love to do together- camp, explore, read, talk, laugh, play cards and kiss! (; I saw pretty quickly how the rain truly enhanced the site and the shoot! Anything green was greener, the wind was beautiful and strong on her stunning Spell gown, the raindrops hit the water and brought so much movement to the shots, and everyone knows that fresh rain smell! Oh my gosh it smelt wonderful! So fresh and alive and lush. It was like being dropped in the middle of a page from the Secret Garden. Once we felt convinced the rain was our friend (which took all of 10 shots) we decided to utilize every aspect of their favorite site and capture some of their regular hangout spots. All in between the rain gusts of course. (:
The exploration shots were easy as they both did it naturally. Each new place we touched they explored like a little team. It was so easy and effortless to capture them like this. I honestly didn’t have to say much the entire time! They were definitely in their element just by being together. And the card game was SO MUCH FUN! They chose to play one of their favorite (and most competitive) card games, thirty-one. *Apparently they had a huge tournament of this game on their backpacking trip and the intensity stuck!* They were super cute and I do believe they both got to win at some point! Hehe. (: The books they brought were some of their first reads and/or purchases together and I LOVED that they each had sentimental value to them. (A couple other great reads remained in the car to avoid the rain per Blake’s request). We decided to arrange the card game in the same spot they always set up their tent for camping! So for Alissa and Blake, it was a game they’ve played 1,000 times in the exact spot they’ve played before. The authenticity of their usual hang time comes through tenfold in the photos! So much genuine love and joy to be together doing something so simple. I absolutely adore this shoot and what it portrays.. T R U E – L O V E !*
The chemistry between these two is undeniable! So much love flows between them you can feel it and now, you can see it for yourself!! Despite being a blustery stormy day that would have most people running, Alissa + Blake were nothing but excited for the challenge and truly dove into the experience. It was certainly a day well spent frolicking through the woods, drinking champagne, playing cards and having fun together! It was so refreshing to be around two people so in love that doing a rainy day engagement shoot sounded great! Their desire just to be together couldn’t be changed by any type of weather! I am so honored to have been chosen to capture this love and I hope you enjoy these magical woodland moments as much as I do!
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