Washington, Pennsylvania Winter Courthouse Engagement Photos

Happy Monday and NEW COUPLE ALERT!  2022 just keeps getting better…and better…and BETTER, I tell ya!  First, I want to preface by saying…I promise you all I’m a true professional deep down.  I know many of you who are friends with this couple are probably going to think, “What on earth is happening on this blog?”.  I was a nurse before I was a photographer…nothing’s changed in the level of professionalism I expect out of myself, I promise.  HOWEVER, when I get a couple like this in front of my camera, I just can’t help it or hold back my excitement which translates into a log of blog rambling.  So, here we go!  Kaitlyn and Vincent are everything a wedding photographer wants in a couple…plus some…AND it turns out we have a ton in common too and I didn’t even know it at the time of taking their engagement photos.  So, if you’re new here…WELCOME!  Brace yourself for some Hannah infused blog excitement!  If you’ve been here before, you know the longer the introductory paragraph, the longer the blog.  SO, sit back…relax…and enjoy all the details of this Washington, Pennsylvania Winter Courthouse Engagement Session!  Kaitlyn and Vincent’s engagement session is LIVE and it’s fabulous!  Enjoy!

So, Kaitlyn booked me pretty recently for their upcoming August 2022 wedding.  We chatted a good bit and I felt a good connection with her without even knowing all the finer details about their history and the theme/style of their wedding.  Well, it turns out their wedding is EXACTLY what I dream about…literally…exactly how I’d plan my wedding all over again.   If you know me, you know I’m a hopeless romantic…except I’m not hopeless.  I believe in fairytales coming true…and true love…and real life love stories that should be made into novels.  I love it ALL!  I especially love romantic stories and movies and series…and if it’s a period film/show and includes royalty?  BONUS!  Well, that came into play in a big way at this session.  Their wedding will be very much “classy” with a big ballroom, black tuxes, ALLLLLL those ooey gooey romantical (making words up here) details I dream about photographing.  I’ll give you more and more details as we go.  For now, let’s see how it all started at this engagement session.  Kaitlyn and Vince were going to be home for their food tasting last weekend at the George Washington Hotel (where their reception will be held).  So, she asked if we could arrange for me to be there since they were coming in from out of town.  It was a chilly 19 (NINETEEN) degrees.  Vincent was coming off of a long shift and had been up for 28+ hours.  This session could have easily been a struggle on all accounts…but it was a BREEZE, no pun intended.  OoO my goodness me.  I mean…just look at their outfits! Pure perfection.

If I wasn’t already signed up for their wedding, I probably would have begged at this point.  It was SO cold and chilly and they didn’t let that stop them.  Kaitlyn showed up in a classy dress complete with high heels and Vince matched her up just perfectly.  Even their “smile and say cheese” photos were spot on!  You know, we always have to have “smile and say cheese” photos for those who want a nice, traditional portrait!

But they pulled off the edge in the black and white like they KNEW what they were doing!  My goodness ME!  GAH! Kaitlyn had told me in their couple fun facts survey that Vince didn’t necessarily mind having his photo taken but that she can be very shy especially in front of the camera.  Boy does this photo below tell another story.  GIRL…we’re going to have a field day with your wedding!  I kept joking about the weather too.  I was telling them to imagine they were hot and sweaty right now because that’s likely what we’ll be like on their wedding day!  In reality, we were all shaking (especially them) and trying not to let our teeth chatter too much.

We did some walking and snuggling too!! At this point, Kaitlyn’s mom and dad had finished up with the tasting (I thank you both immensely for helping Kaitlyn and Vince out and letting them run out of their tasting for this session).  They were watching us from afar and I waved like a crazy person…true Hannah style!

…and they nailed the snuggle.  These two are literally that romantic story I look for in a couple.  They met just a little under two years ago in the midst of the pandemic.  Kaitlyn was working as an attorney and Vince was finishing up medical school.  Just when Kaitlyn thought maybe she’d be single forever, Vince popped into her life and they joke they dated backwards because there was no “going out for dinner and a movie” in the Summer of 2020.  So, they spent their first months dating by galavanting around the Capitol of WV and grilling and cooking together.  I’m one who believes if you’re meant to be with someone…you can skip over all that awkward dating stuff and go right into the real life stuff.  It sounds like these two did exactly that!  I mean, look at them!

They make me smile!  Kaitlyn told me that Vince is “first and foremost – thoughtful” and I can totally see that.  As a nurse, I can totally see him being one of those doctors that’s totally approachable too.  If you know…you know!

At this point in the session, I moved them out into the sun to get some of that glow.  This is always the point people get a little more comfortable having their photo taken and these two were no different.  They snuggled and danced and cuddled…but maybe just to stay warm!  Nonetheless, it just worked!

Vince proposed to Kaitlyn last fall/winter.  On the way to an event (preplanned in a group chat with friends), they made an unexpected stop.  Vincent walked Kaitlyn to an overlook of the Kanawha River and the WV State Capitol Complex.  After chatting a bit about their very first date (which happened at the same place), he dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him…and OF COURSE…she said YES!

I can’t remember exactly when it happened but I mentioned “stand tall like Kate Middleton” and that’s when we really realized how much we have in common.  If you’ve been photographed by me, you know I always use Kate as my example of how to stand and walk.  Well, it turns out Kaitlyn is also a huge fan of that ladyand loves everything British royalty including movies and series! AHHHHH!! It was meant to be, I tell ya!

As we were freezing and wrapping this all up, they nailed the dip and modified dip (below).

Then, Kaitlyn snuggled up to Vince and it gave me an idea to have them walk again…but snuggle style!

That led to these amazing black and whites!

Then, we rounded out this session by popping some champagne!  Kaitlyn’s parents were kind enough to provide it (and her dad even ran it over to us).

…and we ended with a fabulous champagne/ring shot!  I was side eyeing her ring the whole session and I can’t wait to get my hands on it with their invitation in August!

Their wedding is going to be FABULOUS!  I just know it!  They are getting married at their hometown Catholic Church (which I LOVE) and then having a super classy, traditional and elegant wedding reception at the George Washington Hotel that will be fit for the royals!  If you read my introduction in my welcome pack, it literally says I love ALL these things – word for word!  We’re going to be an even greater match on the wedding day!  I JUST KNOW IT!  Huge thank you to this couple (and her parents) for braving the weather with smiles on their faces.  We’re going to have no issues on their wedding day!  Can’t wait!

Thanks for reading, everyone!  Stay warm out there!