Lakeside Wheeling, WV Engagement Session with a Doggie

NEW COUPLE ALERT!  Maddie and Andrew got to have their engagement session last night on a lake in Wheeling, WV WITH all that sunny glow.  That glow was important to us too considering their originally scheduled date was rained out thanks to the hurricane a few days ago!  As I always say, “you’re just going to have to trust me” because it’s always ALWAYS meant to be!  This light just wouldn’t have happened had we chosen not to reschedule.  More on that later!  Give these two (and their 10 month old fur baby, Watson) all your Hannah Barlow Photography love!  Their blog is live right now!  Enjoy!

First things first!  A huge shout out goes to Maddie’s sister (and maid of honor), Becca, for playing doggie babysitter for us!  As I always promise, I get the family photos out of the way first because the puppies are always super excited (and intrigued with my camera).  Meet Watson!  He was born November 18th of last year and he’s a growing boy!  We’re trying to figure out how to get him to the wedding now!

You know I’ll do anything for my couples.  I ALMOST let Maddie talk me into going for it last Tuesday…during the torrential hurricane downpour!  ALMOST!  But I also told her I had big plans for her engagement session and visions in my head.  I had already met her when she had come down to my studio for a pre-booking consultation.  That always lets me “plan” in my wedding photographer brain ahead of time for the engagement session and wedding…that may NOT be a good thing with me.  I can get a little wild with my ideas!  She “knows me” from the blogs and that initial meeting and knows sometimes I get some crazy ideas.  Well, I wanted all that glow…and it was so dark (rain aside) last Tuesday.  So, I finally talked her into rescheduling to this day just two days later…and LOOK! GAH! #worthit. Where is that button I was telling you about last blog?  If you read it, the groom kept saying, “Hannah knows what she’s talking about…that’s why we pay her the big bucks” and I giggled and said I need a pre-recorded button for when I get crazy ideas…because USUALLY I can make my visions real life!  It’s a lot of pressure though!  I’m here for it when the photos end up like this!  Aren’t they just beautiful together?!

Andrew may not love photos but good grief does he put his 100% into it.  I see you, sir!  All the groom photos coming at you next July!  Maddie even said, “He’d probably rather bogey every hole on the golf course than have pictures taken”.  That made me giggle!  OoOo but really…just look!

This is one of my favorite ones (below)!  They’re just so cozy!  ALSO, I’ve always had this dream of doing a parade float (because I’m a crazy person, you know) and having my couples dress up as Disney couples to hand candy out to the kids and take photos.  Well, bad news, Andrew…you’ll be playing Cinderella and her prince! HA!  It’s the blonde hair, blue dress and white dress shirt for me!  TELL ME I’M WRONG!  Wouldn’t they be perfect?!  Also, if you’re new here to the Hannah Barlow Photography engagement blogs…Yes.  I’m ALWAYS like this!  I’m obsessed everything weddings…couples…engagements…love…romance novels…I can’t get enough!  I get especially excited when my visions come to life and look like this!

These two both went to college together but didn’t get close until about 2.5 years ago.  They were together about 2 years to the day when they got engaged in Orlando, FL this past April!  Love and laughter!  Check it out!

We started to make our way back to our cars and I got some crazy Hannah ideas for them to sit on these sharp uneven rocks and act comfortable.  HA!  They NAILED it! AHHH! Love these SO much!  Also, huge shoutout to my friend Ryan Nolan (who will never read this but deserves the shoutout) for giving me this lakeside, rock inspiration!  I saw him do it with one of his seniors!  I’m loving it SO much!

…and before I wrap this one up…I just realized that the black and whites really…REALLY…deserve some time to shine because they are JUST as great! GAH!

Ooo and those lakeside sitting photos?  Watson decided he did, in fact, want to be in the photos after all!  So, we took some candid ones!

And that’s it!  I’m going to have all the words for their wedding blog so I’ll keep it cool and stop here.  They’re planning a wedding with their closest family and friends at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott.  The style is going to include blues, greens, and white with eucalyptus and hydrangeas!  Sounds magical!  Thanks for reading!! Happy Friday!  I’ll be taking the weekend off! Wooooo Hoooo!! Enjoy it!