Summer Evening Oglebay Engagement Session

Good Morning, everyone!  I’ve got a Summer Oglebay Engagement Session with lots of greenery and flowers to show you!  Let’s do this!

Ooo boy.  Here we go!  I need to get something off my chest first though.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know I was feeling all kinds of emotions yesterday and getting all sappy.  It’s true.  This time of year I start to look back on the past weddings I’ve photographed and then forward at the future.  You see, some of my couples text or email me 2-3 times a week leading up to their weddings.  As a result, I get connected to them on a whole other level and then once their weddings are over, I kind of feel empty and it’s bittersweet!  Sounds ridiculous but it’s true!  THEN, I get to meet new people like these two you’ll see here in a moment and it reminds me that I have new couples to text or email me at all hours of the day/night (Emily hasn’t done that yet…but there’s always hope…HA!).  So, everyone, please meet Emily and Michael and give them all your Hannah Barlow Photography love! They’re the most recent couple to be on the wedding blog!  Enjoy!

Emily’s always been very sweet via email or IG messages.  Once I really met her in person at her own engagement session, she was just the same and her company was just easy…and Michael added to that!  It’s also important to note we actually cancelled this session and then the ridiculous forecast changed and we decided  to go for it.  TAKE THIS AS A LESSON, PEOPLE.  On your wedding day, don’t watch the forecast.  Don’t trust it.  We cancelled this session at 2 PM and then decided at 4-5 PM to go ahead and try it!  Yes.  The weather changes that quickly!  It also started raining as I was pulling into Oglebay and I could have screamed…this WEATHER!  THIS RAIN!  I’m over it, I tell ya!  But anyway, we walked to a NEW location at Oglebay Emily discovered with her mom (Hi, Mom!) and we chatted about a little of this and a little of that the whole way!  Then, we arrived and Michael exclaimed it reminded him of Jurassic park.  He is SO right!  Mark my words.  I’m bringing my son who is OBSESSED with Jurassic Park back to this location so I can photograph him and then photoshop a dinosaur into it!  Check back this winter! HA! Michael was totally right though.  We were high up on this walkway and there was greenery and foliage EVERYWHERE!  HmmmMmMm…maybe I could photoshop a dinosaur into these engagement photos too! HA!  Winter bucket list item!

Emily and Michael met at college and on the very first night!! That’s not when they officially decided they were smitten, however.  She said it wasn’t until that November they really started to talk.  They both played basketball and Michael got Emily’s number from another teammate.  He then sent her a little, basic text that said, “Hey, Emily. Good Game.”  They proceeded to spend the next three hour bus ride chatting and haven’t left each other’s sides since! AHHHHH!! I kind of LOVE that story!  Can’t you just picture it?!

It was dreary so I was using lighting.  Anyone who has been in front of my camera knows I like to do a bunch of test shots before we get moving.  Michael was VERY “camera aware” and gave me the funniest shots for my tests.  Emily, on the other hand, kept laughing at him…and I laughed too!  Exhibit A below.  I see a TON of outtakes in their wedding blog!  A TON!

This was my second test shot (below) and they were giggling so hard about that first one…and they hadn’t even see it yet!  Michael’s a funny guy…even when he’s not trying to be funny!! He even said in the couple fun facts survey that if it wasn’t for Emily, he’d never know where any of his stuff was located.  I was cracking up when reading it because that’s something he used to describe her!  He also said, “A beautiful gal inside and out. She cares about everyone’s happiness more than her own.”  He’s sweet too, but really…the other comment had my dying!

They did some walking and snuggling, per the usual.  Emily described Michael as her best friend and one of the goofiest people she knows (I can totally see that even though I think I got a diluted version this round).  I can’t even wait to see what happens at the wedding!  She also went on to describe how dedicated he is to both his family AND the players he coaches (basketball coach).  AHHHHHH!!! I see a lengthy wedding blog in their future too…for sure!  I can’t even stand it!! See?!  This is EXACTLY what I needed coming into the halfway point of 2019 wedding photography season!  I’m already excited about their big day…and the blog!! I’m allllll about the blog!

We also did A LOT of laughing at this session!! A LOT!  I can see their wedding day having a ridiculous amount  of that too!  Outtakes, laughter…length.  It’s getting better and better and I haven’t even typed it up yet!

Then, we started heading back and I spotted this little area.  It’s new! I liked it!  We did it!  Goodness, can’t you just picture their wedding photos?! Ooo my goodness me! Their height differences are perfection for a wedding photographer like me!

Here are some black and white photos for your viewing pleasure!

Then, we headed to the gates.  I really thought the place we parked was closer than the mansion.  I totally think I was wrong though after I hiked (and wheezed) up that hill! Oy.  BUT we got to talk some more which is always nice for a chatter box like me!

Here are just a few more black and whites!

SoOoOOoo…ready for a good story?!  That ring is Michael’s grandmother’s ring.  Shortly after his grandfather passed away, his grandmother told Michael she wanted him to give it to Emily.  His grandparents were engaged on Christmas Eve and they even told the proposal story at his grandfather’s memorial.  So, what did Michael do?!  You all got your swoon faces on, right?!  That’s right!  You probably can guess what’s coming!  He dropped down on one knee on Christmas Eve on the same day his grandfather did years ago and asked Emily to marry him with that same ring!!  Who is swooning?!  Gosh.  This is stuff that movies are made of, I tell ya!

Then, we headed over to the flowers.  Can we just talk about how these flowers match their outfits to perfection!?!?! AHHHHH!! Seriously, they were making my photographer heart so happy and they probably didn’t even know it!  Well, they probably did know it because I’m crazy and can’t hide my excitement to save myself!

I needed one more close up of  her beautiful face and a subtle hint of the ring!!

Then, Emily spotted the little arbor covered in flowers.  I saw the gleam in her eye.  It was almost dark at this point AND started to rain (story of my life these days…seriously).  I mean…what the heck?!  It seems to always rain on me though so I figured…let’s do this!  I had already busted out my poncho (used three of those in one week…Oy).  I’m getting good at this rain stuff, for real!! I’m not scared though (flexing my photographer muscles now)!! I think Michael and Emily were more worried about my gear than I was too…which was totally sweet when you think about it!  So, off we went…to get just a few more! I was yelling, “Run. Fast. Dance. Kiss. Dip!”  We needed to fit as much in and as quickly as we could! HA!

…but I did chill for just a moment so I could focus and give them a better angle…and we nailed it! Grand finale shot on this engagement session!  Here you go!

Well, that’s it and that’s a wrap on this one!  These two are tying the knot August 8th of next year!  For whatever reason, I keep thinking it’s June!  ACK!  Emily and Michael, I promise to show up on the right day! HA!  We’ll be going back to the beautiful St. Michael’s Catholic Church and then to Oglebay to celebrate in the Pine Room!! WEEEEEE!!!  They tell me it’s going to be a great party!  I can’t tell you what colors you’ll be seeing though…Emily keeps changing them! HA!  To be continued…….

Thanks for reading, everyone!  Happy RAINY Tuesday! Oy!

CONGRATS TO EMILY AND MICHAEL!