Snowy Winter Wonderland Engagement Photos in Wheeling, WV

Hello! Happy Wednesday and I hope you’re all staying warm!  It’s the chilliest day of the week and seems so fitting to put this session in front of you right now.  NEW COUPLE ALERT!  Ally and Chris are on the blog and it’s just what all us snow loving humans need.  This is their first time live on the engagement blog so please give them all your Hannah Barlow Photography love and ENJOY their snowy, winter wonderland engagement photos!

Ally and her mom (Hey, Missy!) came to the studio last year to talk all things wedding and photography.  We had a great time and…of course…they decided to book!  At that point, since they were so ahead of the game for a 2023 summer wedding, they said it would be a while before I heard from them again.  Then, out of the blue, Ally got in touch with me and said she wanted snowy engagement photos and we planned them RIGHT AWAY.   So, two days ago…we went for it.  And it WAS actively snowy…so snowy that I actually called her just one hour before this shoot juuuussstt to confirm she was game for snowy hair and that “winter wonderland” vibe.  She was 100% on board…and holy moly…I’m still swooning over these.  Just look!

I mean, Chris was a total champ in all of this.  I still don’t exactly know if he likes photos…or loathes them…because I was talking 1000 miles a minute trying to get as many photos as possible before they got soaked (and positively chilled).  Heck, I didn’t even get to give them my whole pre-shoot Hannah speech…I just did a cliff notes version of it from the car!  Nonetheless, I asked if they were ok with getting their shoes soaked (probably ruined).  They said, “Yep!”.  My original spot was blocked by a road that hadn’t been plowed.  So, I asked them if they were willing to just trust me on a random location in Wheeling, WV…they said, “Yep!”  Honestly, that was their whole amazing attitude during this FAST session…”Yep! Let’s do it!”…and we did. AHHHHHH!!  If you ask for winter wonderland and show up with amazing attitudes like this…you’re going to get amazing winter photos.  I still can’t get over these!  Winter can be real tricky to shoot.  This session was a breeze!

Ok! OK!  Chris!  Tell me…do you hate having your photo taken?  If you do, you’re an amazing actor.  This photo (below) is positively my very favorite from the whole session.  They look like models…straight out of a magazine!  This one is going on IG and my website ASAP!  They just KNEW what to do as soon as I asked for it.  “Ally look down…shoulder sniff.  Chris…look right at me”!  BOOM!  Perfect photo.  I also believe I told him to bear hug her…nailed it!

…then you have the black and whites.  It literally looks like a model shoot! I can’t even!

Those of you who have been in front of my camera know what’s happening.  They are walking and snuggling while I’m rushing to get this done.  I knew clothes and hair were going to get soaked (feet were already done…).  They were SO calm…eerily calm!  I guess it makes sense now after reading their couple fun fact survey just now (which I always wait to read until after I’ve put all my unbiased thoughts out there).  They said as long as someone is telling them what to do…they don’t necessarily mind photos.  Just like my husband and I, these two lived in the same neighborhood very close to one another.  They went to the same high school too.  It wasn’t until college they started dating and once he found out she was going to the same college…he slid into her DMs real sneakily and asked her if she needed to “borrow his Chemistry book”.  The rest is history!

They already had their feet soaked and I am sure…were chilled to the bone.  I asked them to hike into MORE snow so I could get some “dead stuff” in between us. I’m not sure what was going through their minds but they acted like they 100% knew what I was talking about and knew the photos would turn out (thank you!!!).  I love this trust so much…can you just imagine their wedding?!  It’s going to be at Oglebay and now I’m going to have to find ALL the random spots to make Chris and Ally unique, wedding photo magic!

Then, I wanted to get away from the dead stuff and give them some lake stuff…except the lake was no where to be found – solid ice and covered in a layer of snow.  We didn’t stand on it (nope…no way) BUT it sure did give us the winder wonderland vibes with the contrasting black and white WHICH is perfectly ironic because they are planning a black tie wedding at Oglebay.  I really do love when things come full circle!

This session was just what I needed during all this snow and cold.  The drive there was even tricky but we made it!  And you know what happens when I get snowy session like this?!  Well, I end up wanting ALLLLL the seasons and my Hannah brain goes into overdrive.  Ally already mentioned a fall session.  That’s got my gears turning.  HmmMmMM…to be continued!

Yep.  That’s how we ended this session…on a very snowy high note.  Fabulous hat and outfits and a super laid back couple I could photograph for HOURS!  Check back this year because I’m hoping you’ll see more and more of these two before their wedding next year!  Thanks for reading!  Stay warm and dry!