Sunny Pittsburgh Engagement Session

Happy “Monday”, everyone!  I know…I know…it’s not really Monday but it feels like it, I tell ya!  I’ve been plugging away all day to get these beauties done!  We did these last Thursday so they’ve waited LONG ENOUGH!  That’s right.  It’s a …NEW COUPLE ALERT (kind of)!  You see, I met Lakin back in 2020 in pandemic-monia when she was a bridesmaid in another wedding I did.  Michael was there…but I didn’t get to meet him officially…SO…HERE WE GO!  It’s their time to shine!  Please give these two love birds ALL your Hannah Barlow Photography love!  Their sunny Pittsburgh engagement session is live on the blog RIGHT now!  Enjoy!

To contrast what will be their 2023 fall wedding photos (likely outdoors in the countryside with a possible lake view), they chose to have a city vibe…in Pittsburgh.  We’d planned a nice evening shoot.  Then, my husband notified me that morning that not only was there the Pitt vs. WVU game…but there was also a concert AND to top it all off, a rib fest.  Ughhhhhhhh.  I texted Lakin and she was immediately like “Yep.  We’re flexible.  Let’s make it happen!”  And we did!  So, we drove into the city around lunch time.  It was super sunny so I started them right off in this little shaded spot to get any kinks out of the way.

They did’t need that time though.  She said, “We’re warm now…we’re ready”!  THESE ARE MY TYPE OF PEOPLE!  Lakin is also one of my biggest hype girls during an engagement session.  She hasn’t even seen these yet and she’s already been texting and talking about them like she has seen them…HA! I love it!

I had to have JUST a few more…because the laughter was coming out already and I love a good stone wall!

So, off we went to embrace the city landscape!  These two met when Michael was doing PSP academy with Lakin’s sister’s (now) fiance back in 2019.  After their numbers were exchanged, they went on a blind date in Market square and officially started dating about 2 months later…even though Lakin said she knew she loved him right then and there.  It’s funny reading their couple fun fact survey now.  I don’t read them prior to the session so I had no idea when I was taking these that Michael served in the military.  I made a “that’s an awfully large flag and we need to avoid it for some” comment and immediately thought… “I better back that statement up with the fact that my husband is in the military and we respect the flag”…HA!  So, I did and that’s when I found out he also serves!  So, these were actually pretty perfect.

These two are incredibly easy to photograph!  They say they have similar personalities and I love that because most people say “opposites attract” but I can see these two just jive.  Lakin was super duper excited for photos.  While Michael wasn’t AS excited leading up to these, he sure did show excitement during the shoot.  You just wait and see!

SIR!  See what I mean?  Michael took the lead and looks like he’s been doing this for years!  Give me ALL the groom photos!

Lakin pulled up with the vogue shots!  These (below) are some of my absolute FAVORITES!

At this point, we were comfy and cozy with one another and just rolling with it all!

Michael even threw in a spin without even being prompted for these ones…and he kept his eyes on Lakin just as instructed.

The location we were parked in left an amazing spot for us to REALLY get in the city…so we did just that!  I knew embracing the city was important so we took JUST a few more!

I’m seeing wedding gorgeousness in our futures!  It probably won’t be so hot then.  It was super warm this day.  They’re getting married next October (end of October) and are planing a large party with their family and friends.  It’s going to be more modern wedding with burnt orange/rust and navy stealing the show (which is perfect considering their purposeful outfit choices for this session).  AHHHH!  It’s going to be amazing!  I did go back and look for photos of Michael and Lakin together at that 2020 wedding.  I love doing that and seeing couples I photographed candidly having NO idea what the future would hold.  This is such a cool and heart filing job, I tell ya!  Thanks for reading!  Now, I’m off to send their full gallery!  Happy Tuesday, everyone!