Kristin and Chris’s Dreamy Engagement Pics

I love engagement shoots.  They are such a great way for couples to show off their sense of style, their personality, and their love for one another.  Kristin and Chris’s engagements- shot by Dreamscape Studio- are no exception.  These two have been together through thick and thin for many years (I know because Kristin and I go way back to law school times!) and I can honestly say you won’t find a cuter, more loving couple anywhere.  And I love how they chose both country and city chic locations for their photos.  It just goes to show you that kind of balance works in relationships AND photography!

I can’t wait to show you their WEDDING!  Coming soon!!!

Phara and Jeff’s Sophisticated Outdoor Engagements

It’s not every couple who can pull off looking both ultra cool and incredibly in love at the same time.  And yet between the sunglasses, the shoes, and the obvious affection they have for each other, Phara and Jeff do so effortlessly.  Of course, that is probably because they are ultra cool and incredibly in love in real life too!  J. and I got to celebrate Phara and Jeff’s wedding with them recently, and we are so HAPPY for this wonderful couple!  These are their engagement photos, which were taken in Central Park.  I love how their photographer captured so much of their essence, and yet so simply (and yes, photo credit to come- as soon as Phara returns from her honeymoon!)

Congratulations Phara and Jeff!!

Rielly and Sean’s Rustic, Romatic Engagement Shoot

Today I’m super psyched to be able to feature the kind of photos that simply make me melt every time I look at them.  These photos were taken by Sanderson Images for my friends Rielly and Sean out in western NJ (near Bucks County, PA) and really, you don’t need to be told much more than that.  They speak for themselves!  Of course, it helps that it had rained that day, which made the greenery ultra vibrant, and the sky indulgently moody.  I think we now know why rain is considered good luck on one’s wedding day.  And what’s even more awesome, is that these two are tying the knot THIS WEEKEND and I get to be a bridesmaid!  Remember the Paper Porn from a few weeks ago?   Yep, no surprise, that’s their wedding!  I can’t wait to feature more!  Congrats to Rielly and Sean!

Dating and Engagement: How Long is “Right” And When Should You Ignore Conventional Wisdom?

I’m going to say it up front: I don’t pretend to know the answer to the above question.  But as February comes to a close, I’m primarily just curious to know if there even is a right answer.  The reason why?  One of my besties just got engaged!  To someone who she had not been dating for very long (i.e. weeks, not months- and yes, she has a serious rock, it is for real).  My attitude?  We’re all quite grown up and capable of making decisions, and she will always have my love and support.  Besides, if she is happy, who is anyone else to judge?  Frankly, if we all accepted conventional wisdom, most of us would be too frightened to ever even get married.

Just think of all the rule breaking that goes on these days.  I know happily married people who had kids before they were married.  Or people whose parents thought a 6 month engagement was too short and thus, a bad idea.  I know people who married someone who has been divorced.  And I know people who’ve been harshly criticized for meeting their spouse online.  Plenty of people poo-poo on these matches, and yet these are very happy couples, as far as I can tell.  And some of the plain vanilla, so called “perfect” marriages I’ve seen have completely fallen apart.  Is it all a crapshoot?  Does it come down to hard work?

What do you think?  In a society of increasingly fuzzy boundaries, are there any dating/marriage rules that just shouldn’t be broken?  Or is it just more gray area to give us more gray hair?

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Wedding Bands Are In!

Last weekend J. and I picked up our wedding bands!  I’ll admit, I am obsessively in love them.  His is a more modern, simple, brushed white gold, whereas mine was custom made to work with my engagement ring, and has a vintage vibe.

True story:  we went to pick up our rings, at I had a very strange reaction.  First, I thought, “wow, I love my ring!”  Then I tried it on and I totally freaked out thought, “wow, its kind of too huge on my hand.”  I might be the only girl in the world who prefers delicate to large when it comes to jewelery.  And I wasn’t sure if I liked it or not- this very ring that I myself had custom designed and sketched for the jeweler, who took a month to make it.  I started to panic.

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Why I Heart Engagement Photos

Ok, everyone knows engagement photos are not a “necessary” element of a wedding. And there are plenty of solid reasons why some people choose not to have them taken. Everyone has to choose what works best for their budget and personality! But if your photographer is willing to give them to you as a part of your package, I say DO THEM! (Especially if you love your photographer as much as I love mine, Jessica Morrisy! All photos in this post were taken by Jessica).

Seriously, when else will you get images of yourself and your fiance being…

goofy

smoochy

adorkable

No matter how many cute snapshots we have together, nothing compares to the work of a good photographer! And besides, we’re getting major mileage out of these puppies! We’re using the photos for our guest book (I’ll save the details for a future post) and we had 100 of these postcards printed on VistaPrint for our save-the-dates. Ok, they are not the most creative or luxurious save-the-dates (for those, I recommend you talk to the folks at Ceci, sigh!) but they were inexpensive, easy to make, and had quick turnaround time!

Are you incorporating engagement photos into your wedding preparation?