A Rainy, Fall, Wheeling Engagement Session

Hello, everyone!  Yep.  It’s another week of Hannah Barlow Photography blog MADNESS!  I have another couple I’d like you to “meet”…although, you kind of already met them last year.  That’s right! AHHHHH!! I love when couples come to me after they’ve met me at other weddings and have seen my work.  It’s one of the best compliments I can receive, so thank you both!  Melanie and James are on the blog today!! It’s their time to shine so please give them all your Hannah Barlow Photography love and enjoy!  Their engagement session is live right now!

Melanie really wanted fall for her engagement photos.  For the last three years, “fall” has come at the end of October and even the beginning of November!  I have photographic proof, ya know!  2016 was the last time the leaves changed mid-October (and left my last three years of October weddings very green).  Well, this year was completely different.  ‘Tis 2020, I guess.  The leaves changed earlier and then the weather hit a lot harder after that…leaving many of the leaves on the ground.  On this particular day last week, it also rained.  Melanie and James were game to go for it though.  So, we switched up locations and went to one of my very favorite spots for rain!  I told them they’d REALLY have to trust me on this.  James followed it up with, “We trust you.  That’s why we hired you.”  Well, alright right then!  Let’s do this!  First, I covered up the lines in the parking lot so we could take advantage of this “fally” spot before the clouds REALLY opened up to soaked us.  It was still drizzling at this point!  Right out of the gates, they were giggling!

We started moving closer to the building but I was keeping my photographer goggles on real tight for some fall foliage areas!  Fun Fact:  These two are another one of my couples who met online.  I keep “threatening” my assistant Ashleigh…we’re going to sign her up online here soon! It works.  My couples are proof of this, ASHLEIGH!

Melanie tells me they are very different people.  Melanie describes her future husband to be as “hardworking, funny, patient, loving, wonderful, and a supportive father” and then  James turned around and described Melanie as “kind, caring, giving, dependable, and amazing”.  I remember Melanie being very sweet and quiet when I photographed her last year at her sister’s wedding.  I got to meet James very briefly then too (but not officially back then) AND the kiddos!  They were super easy to photograph even though they put in the couple fun facts survey that James doesn’t really like having his photo taken and Melanie was a bit nervous!  I loved when James would sneak a kiss (or give her one on my prompt) and she would squish her nose up…it also usually ended up with her giggling!

Walking and snuggling…of course!

Then I had them get real cozy!  James proposed to Melanie this past August at Hocking Hills!  Melanie requested only one photo…James kissing her ring!  I mean…YES, please!

Of course, that got me all excited and channeled all my old world Hannah poses!  AHHHHHHH!!  I’m hoping we can do this pose again at their wedding! EKK!

It had stopped raining so we did some more walking to give them some fall foliage in the background!

It’s always at this point couples start to let loose and start to really have fun.  James started suggesting things…spinning Melanie…and we all got some really really really great laughs out of these moments!  Also, look at that foot placement from both of them! Dancing lessons?  I don’t think…I think they just naturally nailed it!

Then, James attempted to spin her the other way and this is when it all fell apart…because we all got to laughing so hard we couldn’t stop!  Melanie couldn’t reverse her spin…no matter how hard she tried!  James was trying to educate her.  I was yelling, “Counter clockwise, Melanie!” And we just laughed…and laughed…and laughed some more.

Yep.  Laughing so hard we had to hold out bellies! HA!  I’m giggling right now just typing this.  I love James’ face too…”OOO come on, Melanie!”

So, I had them walk just a bit more to loosen back up and then they did it!  AHHHHHH!! Grand finale spin!

These two are planning an elegant, Halloween themed wedding.  That’s right.  ELEGANT…Halloween themed.  OoooO my goodness ME!  It’ll be a Hannah Barlow Photography blog first.  I can’t even wait.  Melanie’s sister’s wedding had one of the longest blogs ever because this family and these people are just so great.  I can’t wait to see her mom get all emotional again.  Those were some of my FAVORITE photos of the gallery!  I can assure you it’s going to be a long blog again so save all your blog reading time for this time next year.  Also, because you all know I love when things come full circle…I pulled some photos from the archives of Melanie and James and the kiddos at the wedding last year!  I swear I got a photo of Melanie and James standing by the head table (I don’t know why these things pop into my brain as memories) BUT I can’t find it.  GAH!  Maybe I’ll go through them again…or maybe I’m crazy…time will tell.  It’ll bother me though!  Thanks for reading!  Have a GREAT day!