Grace & Garrett: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photos

This sweet pair had one of the prettiest November days for their engagement session The light was just unreal!

Grace & Garrett met at a concert over a year ago, and got engaged on the one year anniversary of the day they met

I actually photographed Garrett's senior photos back in 2021... (plus his brother's & sister's senior photos more recently!). I am always so honored when seniors let me be a part of the next chapter of their lives! You can feel the love & joy these two have just being with them.

Congratulations on your engagement, Grace & Garrett!

Reva + Alex: McConnell's Mill Engagement

Reva and Alex traveled all the way from Philadelphia for their engagement session and will be tying the knot at Succop Nature Park next year! These two met online, and one of their first initial conversations was about how he could juggle and she could do cartwheels (two things that impressed me because I totally can’t do them! ). And now for a little more background:

How did he pop the question?!

It was the weekend of my 30th birthday and we already had plans to go out to dinner with my friends. Alex wouldn't tell me where we were going and kept telling me to stop asking questions (I like to know the plans at all times). The two of us went to get a drink by Jefferson's campus first, then we walked onto campus when Alex pointed out this large lantern/monument thing that we had walked by many times. He wanted to go over and look at it, and little did I know he had a photographer planted there. He got down on one knee and promptly started laughing! Once he found his words, he asked me to marry him. We have beautiful pictures in front of that lantern (and also in the spot nearby where we had our first kiss) to look back on now!

What do you admire about your significant other?

Reva: Alex is always educating himself and open to talking with others, which allows him to have very informed opinions on things rather than jumping to conclusions.

Alex: I admire how strong and dependable Reva is. She has always been there for me, and so many other people in her life, through thick and thin.

And now, without further ado, here are a few of my favorites from their session!

Katie + Shane: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photos

Katie and Shane - what can I say about these two?! Oh my, did we have so much fun adventuring through McConnell’s Mill with them - they felt like old friends almost instantly! Katie and I discovered that we share a mutual love of fall and dislike for summer clothing (sweaters are sooo much better!) and I also learned that Katie is allergic to pumpkin! I know it’s not relevant to their photos - but I have never in my life met anyone who is allergic to pumpkin! And yes, that does mean pumpkin spice lattes are out of the question 😔

Shane and Katie met at Westminster College in the fall of 2010 and were friends for quite a few years before their first date in 2016. Instead of going out for a fancy dinner (like you might expect on a first date), these two went to the movies, and after, went to Eat’n Park for coffee and breakfast (that’s my kind of first date!!). In January of 2018, Shane proposed to Katie in New York on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art - and the rest is history! They love Starbucks runs, a good trip to Home Goods and TJ Maxx (same) and eating at some of their favorite local restaurants! And truly, I couldn’t be more excited to hang out with them again on their wedding day! We love you guys!!!!

Check out a few (or… more than a few!) of my favorite images from their session below!

Kayla + Colin: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photos

Kayla and Colin were so much fun to photograph at McConnell's Mills! Their bubbly personalities and kind demeanor made them so easy to get along with right from the start. We even figured out right before the session began that not only did Colin graduate from the same college as my husband (Geneva College), but that these two also go to the same church as we do (Grace Community Church)! There were so many connections happening, which always makes sessions that much more fun!

Also - Kayla brought the most adorable "love" shaped balloon with her that we were able to incorporate into the photos - so cute! (And just in case you were wondering, it's from Target!)

So without further ado - here are a few of my favorites from their golden light filled session!

Creative Outfit Ideas for Engagement Photos

Trying to find an outfit for your engagement photos?! Shopping for a whole new outfit might seem like the only option, but in reality, there are so many other ways to make a killer engagement session outfit without draining your bank account! Below are three of my top tips for getting creative with your outfits!

1.  Rent a dress or outfit from Rent the Runway!

I learned about Rent the Runway last year and I’m OBSESSED! Rent the Runway has a huge variety of expensive clothing, which can all be rented for a fraction of the original price! Lyndsay, a 2017 JHP bride, opted for a gorgeous floor length red dress that made her session come together perfectly with the neutral winter backdrop. And the best part was, she didn’t have to pay hundreds of dollars to look fabulous!

2.  Repurpose an old bridesmaid dress (or any dress, for that matter!).

So, you bought a bridesmaid dress, only to wear it once and have it sit in your closet for a number of years. There are plenty of tutorials on Pinterest about upcycling or repurposing bridesmaid dresses into pillows or dresses for your kids, but what about repurposing your dress into something that you can wear again?

One of my brides, Hilary, was in a wedding where she wore a beautiful tulle, dusty blue bridesmaid dress. After the wedding, she decided that she wanted to find another way to wear the dress – so she had it made into a floor length skirt!

For her engagement session, she paired the dusty blue skirt with a simple black top, and wa-la! The perfect, upscale, classy outfit for an engagement session! Besides the color of the skirt (which was perfect for winter engagement photos!), Hilary’s skirt was full of body and movement, which always looks gorgeous in photographs!

3.  Uplevel your accessories!

One way to get creative with an outfit for your engagement photos is to “uplevel” your accessories! One little black dress can be transformed with a hat, scarf, statement necklace, shawl, belt, or even just the right pair of shoes. Accessories are also more cost-effective than purchasing a whole new dress or outfit and can easily be worn with a variety of different pieces in any season!

Tess and Phil (pictured below) had their engagement photos taken at the camp they met at, so they dressed in clothing to match the camp experience! Tess wore a hat and the most adorable boot/sock combination. Paying attention to these seemingly small accessories can make the biggest difference in the overall final product!

Looking for more ways to prep for your engagement session? Check out “5 Ways to Pamper Yourself for Your Engagement Photos!”

4 Tips for Preparing Your Groom for Your Engagement Session

Are you a bride who’s wondering how your groom will react to having his photo taken? You are most certainly not alone! One of the biggest questions I am asked by my brides is how to prepare her groom for the engagement session. So many of my couples who were nervous before their session walk away saying: “Wow! That was actually fun.” And that’s what it’s about – not just getting some great photos, but actually having fun while doing it!

So if you’re a bride who’s a little bit nervous about how your groom might react to the engagement session, here are a few of my top tips:

1.  Sit down and show him a couple of your favorite blog posts or galleries by your photographer.

Sometimes the scariest thing about going into something new is the unknown – the same is true for going into an engagement session! In most (not all) cases, the bride is the one looking for and booking the wedding photographer, which means that she will already be very familiar with the style, look, and posing associated with a particular photographer by the time the engagement session rolls around. However, if a groom hasn’t been involved in picking the wedding photographer (or has only seen a few samples of work), they could be a bit blind-sided going into a session by what to expect. By looking at a few blog posts or galleries the night before your engagement session, a bride will give her groom realistic expectations for how the session will pan out!

2.  Leave early to arrive ahead of schedule!

This tip might not seem like it fits quite as well, but I know from photographing many sessions (and from being in a relationship myself ;) ) that timeliness can sometimes be a point of contention between any two people who love each other! Be sure to leave early enough to arrive on time to your session. Starting off your session in an argumentative manner from tardiness can put a damper on the beginning of the shoot!

3.  Plan to do something fun together afterwards.

So maybe taking photos isn’t necessarily your guy’s favorite thing to do – or maybe he’s nervous because he’s never had his photo taken professionally before! Whatever the case, plan to do something fun before or afterwards that you can both look forward to – whether it’s going out to dinner, seeing a movie, going out for ice-cream – having something fun to plan for after your session will give you both something to look forward to and will make your night for getting engagement photos done more into a date night!

4. Have patience & be an encourager.

Getting your photo taken can be awkward if you've never had it done before, or if it's been a while! Don't forget to have patience and grace with your groom, especially if he's feeling uneasy. It's completely normal to feel nervous before having your photo taken - the best thing you can do is continue to encourage and build up your groom throughout the whole process!

And just to show that it is possible for guys to have fun during the engagement session, here are a few of my favorite photos of grooms genuinely enjoying their session:

Chelsea + TJ: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photographer

Like many Saturdays in Western PA during the spring and summer months, the rain threatened Chelsea and TJ's engagement session until the very last moment - but luckily for us, we escaped the rain and were left with the beautiful scenery of McConnell's Mill!

One of my favorite moments during Chelsea and TJ's engagement session came towards the end. These two were doing a phenomenal job (and were getting to be pros in front of the camera!), so I asked if they would feel comfortable with doing a piggy back ride through a field. They both laughed and mentioned that when they visit TJ's grandma's house, he always gives Chelsea a piggy back ride to escape the groundhogs that live in her yard. If that's not true love, I'm not sure what is!

We can't wait to celebrate your marriage, Chelsea and TJ!

Lyndsay + Justin: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photography

There are so many things to love about Lyndsay and Justin! Their relaxed personalities and undeniable love for each other made them an absolute joy to photograph. Lyndsay had a clear vision for her engagement session - a winter wonderland, and a bright, red dress. Thanks to Rent the Runway, Lyndsay was able to rent a killer dress to perfectly accent the session (side note: brides, this is a great way to dress up your engagement photos without having to commit to buying a dress!). These two put up with freezing cold temps and an icy hill that almost stopped us from reaching our last location - but they pushed through like champs, bringing her gorgeous vision to life! Without further ado - check out one of my personal favorite winter sessions ever. We are so excited for your fall wedding, Lyndsay and Justin!

Vendors:

Makeup by Joy Lager at Beauty by Joy

Hair by Mallory Puniak at Copacetic Salon

Laura + Jake: McConnell's Mill Engagement Photographer

I loved spending the evening with these two a few weeks ago at McConnell's Mill and Grove City College (definitely a popular place for photos this fall, and I love it)! They were so natural in front of the camera. Check out a few of my favorite photos from their session below! Congratulations again on your engagement, Laura and Jake!