Oglebay Tulip Engagement Session

Happy Tuesday, everyone!  I seriously keep thinking it’s Wednesday for some reason so I’m just happy I got that part correct right out of the gates!  HA!  Anyway, I can’t WAIT for you to meet Sam and Nate!  They are the newest couple on my blog but more like “old” friends to me!  They met with me prior to booking.  They’ve attended some of my monthly meetings too!  So, it was so nice to meet them once again…but for photos!  YAY!  We shot their engagement session at Oglebay last week with all the tulips we could find!  Sam made it very clear she wanted flowers…and lots of them!  Oglebay’s tulips are THE BEST so that’s where we planned to go!  The weather cooperated.  The tulips were gorgeous!  AND I’m pretty sure this is all this couple wanted and more!  Well, Nate said he was just doing what he was told.  He’s a funny guy.  You just wait!  Their wedding is going to be outstanding!  EEEEEEKKK!!

Everyone, meet Samantha (Sam) and Nathan (Nate)!  Enjoy!

Just to give you a preview of how amazing this session was…check out these photos below!  We spent a lot of time frolicking amongst all the tulips and daffodils (me more than them, of course).  Sam’s personality and laugh are so stinking contagious, I tell ya.  When she laughed, I laughed.  She’s an easy target and her groom-t0-be took full advantage too.  A little tickle here…a big tickle there…some whispers in the ear I couldn’t hear but definitely got some good laughs from…it didn’t matter.  She was smiling.  They both were!! ANDDDDD I just typed that and reread that and realized how weird it sounds.  I’m dying laughing right now and have decided I’m leaving it anyway.  HA!  Because that just sums up this couple in a nutshell, easy to be around.  Easy to blog about.  Easy to make smile.  They’ll also probably get one more good laugh out of this engagement session from that ridiculous sentence…so yea…I’m leaving it – weird, awkward tickle comments and all!! It was all PG in person though…I promise!  I should really move on now.

So anyway…electric fences aside (because I had to photoshop them ALLLLL out), this session was a dream.  Beautiful people, inside and out.  Beautiful location at Oglebay!  Beautiful weather.  Yep!  My photographer heart was so happy leaving this day…and while editing them (seriously, despite those electric fences)…and while delivering them.  Heck, I even got the sweetest texts from Sam afterward!  I figure Nate’s happy too as he made it very clear he was along for the ride.  Whatever we needed him to do…he did it.  No questions asked.  And if it makes Sam happy?  He’s happy too!  He’s one of my star grooms…making my job so easy and enjoyable!

I typed all that nice stuff up and then read their couple fun facts survey.  I can NOT believe Sam admittedly says she was “mean” to Nate when he was trying to woo her and get her to go on a date!  I wouldn’t have ever guessed she had a mean bone in her body!  Knowing Nate, he probably has a lot to say about that statement! HA!  She says she ignored him in the beginning despite his very best and persistent efforts.  This was back in 2015.  From her lying to him telling him she was going to the gym…and then having to lie again to get out of going to the gym (because he offered to go and save her a treadmill) to her grabbing not so dirty knives at the Subway she worked at to go and wash them (code: hide) when she saw him coming…yep, she avoided him like the plague.  He even tried to meet up with her while she was getting a meal on the college campus and she responded that “she decided not to eat today”.  I’m dying laughing because she told me in the survey she would never forget to eat.  Girllllll…me too!! ME TOO! Although, I’m pretty sure I’d risk it to get my meal in…you all know I get HANGRY when I don’t eat!  Maybe that’s why Sam says Nate is so hilarious…with most of his jokes at her expense?  Girl, you may deserve it JUST a tad! HA!  She also said he was super sweet but likes to hide it…Pffffffft.  Nate…I read right through you!   AND you can see it all over these photos too!  I’m so happy about it all and how all this turned out!  Now, I get to photograph this goodness!

“He’s my favorite person to annoy and even though he hates when I stick my feet in between his calves, I know he loves me, and I love him too.”<—I’ll just leave that right there.  THAT is how Sam ended the paragraph about how she would describe Nate! AHHHH!! Love stories! I’m SUCH a sucker and this one is SO GOOD! SO GOOD!  SO GOOOOOD!! Ok…moving on!

Then, we headed over to the daffodil field!  Aren’t they adorable?!  Sam mentioned she’s super smart but acts ditzy 98% of the time.  Nate echoed those exact words when describing his wife-to-be in the first sentence when I asked him to describe her.  OooO M G!  I can’t even quit laughing now.  Where’s the laughing GIF when I need it?!

There we go!! That was literally me just now!  So, enjoy!  This is Nate’s words describing Sam…quoted.  AND I did ask permission to post this!

“While she can be loving and compassionate, she can also turn into your worst enemy within seconds. However, she always keeps me smiling and on my toes. For instance, did you know that she doesn’t believe in time zones and also thought you could see Alaska from the SkyWheel at Niagara Falls? I’ll let you catch your breath for a second…..Anyway, Sam can be the most self-driven individual when she puts her mind to it. From working multiple jobs while in dental hygiene school, to crafting her bridesmaids proposal boxes for hours after working nearly 10 hours, or what have you. As you can see from how we first met to now, she can be very standoffish or very sweet when she wants to be. But don’t let her kindness fool you as she can easily take over any situation at a moment’s notice. But hey, I still love the girl with all of my heart even if she tries to stick her ice cold feet between my calves every chance she freaking can.”

This is love, people!  I’m a firm believer that every strong relationship comes from carefully executed, brutal honesty.  I love everything about their answers…honesty and all!  I’m seeing their grandchildren’s photos on my blog one day (if I make it that long…HA!)

I’ve got even more goodness coming!  While I’m not one for props, a properly and well done sign from a Cricut makes me real happy!  Sam did this!  Do you see “The Yes Day”?  Well, they’re way too good at this story stuff…and I probably should just let them start blogging for me!  Here is their engagement story…copy and pasted!  You are welcome!  From the couple —>”The actual proposal: We bought a house in November of 2018 and me being the diva I am, turned an entire room into a closet. I had everything I needed, except a full length mirror. So Christmas morning, I was rushing to get ready to go to my grandma’s. I’m finally ready and Nate starts telling me how he got me a present that was too big to take anywhere, so he wanted to give it to me early. I was like ooookkaaaayyy… So he takes me in our spare bedroom and there’s a big mirror. I’m like okay Nate that’s nice, thank you, now let’s go. He’s like “but look! It lights up and it opens! Try to open it” And I’m rolling my eyes, but I do it anyway. Well, I open it up and there is an ornament hanging inside that says “Our First Christmas Engaged” I turn around and he’s on one knee in the doorway with a beautiful, blue, Tiffany ring box in his hand. I ran over to him and hugged and kissed him and apparently said nothing because he goes “uhh Sam you didn’t give me an answer.” So I said yes, DUH. and then we selfied and I took a million and one pictures of my ring.  Fun Fact: Sam actually didn’t say yes at first after being silent for what felt like forever, she said “OMG can I put it on?!” – Nate”

I can’t even!  This blog is too much fun and love for me!  Is that even possible?!  So then, we sought out a different color tulip this day!  AND they busted out these amazing signs which fit their personalities perfectly (which they admit are scarily similar)!  She said, “This is so Nate!”when they pulled these signs out of the bag!

…seriously, too funny!

Then, it was time for an outfit change.  While they were doing that, I kidnapped this beautiful, Tiffany, engagement ring and took some photos with it…complete with the Tiffany blue box, of course!  I found out their wedding will be Tiffany blue, as well…and Sam most certainly carries the box around with her to “color check”! HA!  I haven’t photographed a purely, Tiffany blue wedding yet (Jen and Ethan’s was kind of like that but with the addition of purple and burlap).  So, I’m totally excited about that!  Sam has had this ring picked out since she was 14.  She went with Nate to ring shop too only for them to find out “the ring” had been discontinued and there were only FOUR left in stock for the whole company! AHHHHHH!  Nate sneakily purchased it…and carried it around IN THE TRUNK of his car for FIVE MONTHS.  I.can’t.even.  I can assure you this thing will be protected in better places come their wedding day BUT he knew his girl…and he knew how to hide this surprise from her!

Is she a beauty or what?!  Goodness!  These two can’t take a bad photo…I had all my lenses in use…all my positions and poses executed.  It didn’t matter.  Engagement session magic was happening!

We did some walking and snuggling, of course!

And I had realized I didn’t block the cars in the parking lot properly the first round so I made them come back at me!! Those little details matter, I tell ya!  And now you’re probably scrolling back up to see what I’m talking about! HA!

The sun was setting on Oglebay but I was still shooting away!  I mean, you can’t go wrong.  All the elements were perfect!

I also took some last minute extra ring shots…because I knew how important this was to Sam!  YAY! I also typed that last sentence up BEFORE I learned all about the importance of that ring!  MEANT TO BE!

Well, that’s it…that’s a wrap!  I’ve got TWO more engagement sessions coming this week too!! Before we go though, I need to talk about their wedding a little bit…because I’m 110% certain both the wedding AND the wedding blog are going to be outstandingly fantastic!  These two are tying the knot next Spring/Summer (Memorial Day weekend) at Oglebay, of course!  Then, we’re taking this party to River City where DJ Nick Arno will rock the house!  As I mentioned, it’s going to be Tiffany blue and it’s going to be unique…and amazing…and I can’t even wait.  She even said there would be sparkles which I’m a HUGE fan of!  I can’t believe I’m coming into this wedding season and thinking about next wedding season already.  It feels like it’s here! AHHHHHH!

Ooo and when I asked Sam how long they had been together before they got engaged?  She said, “1359 days or 3 years, 8 months, and 19 days. Not that I was counting or anything…;)”  HA!  I love these two so much!

Thanks for reading!! Happy Tuesday!