Engagement Photo Fun with Friends | Megan & Scott

Hello and Happy Thursday! I’ve got a super special blog to share with you and if you know these two and you know me…you know why! I’ve known Scott since I was 4 years old and him and Megan have been together for almost all of our adults lives (if you know…you know…). I’m not actually their wedding photographer (shout out to Frye Fotos) but Megan wanted me to be a part of SOMETHING so she asked me to tag along and do these engagement photos for them! More on ALL this later but, for now, please give them all your Hannah Barlow Photography love! It’s not their first time on my site…nope! Megan hired me way back when I was a brand new budding photographer…in 2014? Earlier? Maybe?! All that matters is she was one of my very first clients and you all know I LOVE when things come full circle. SO, sit back…relax…and ENJOY! Megan and Scott’s engagement session is on the blog right now!

First things first, you need some back story. Megan and I had been planning this for weeks and with Kayla’s help (Kayla Frye…Frye Fotos..don’t get lost on me already). Scott, on the other hand, had NO idea I was going to be involved in any of this. You see, I haven’t been a guest or even been able to attend any wedding in any non-official fashion since 2015. That’s right. EVERY wedding I’ve attended in the last 8 years has been professionally…as a photographer. SO, the MOMENT (and I mean the MOMENT), I saw them get engaged after 11 YEARS (you read it right)…I opted out…and fast. I do believe my exact comment on that “we’re engaged” post was “not it”. I have no shame in my game, you all know this but I was bound and determined to enjoy this wedding as a friend and celebrate with friends AND maybe even with a drink in my hand. That’s right! I did end up being the un official wedding “planner” along side many of Megan and Scott’s friends…specifically her maid of honor (Hey, Alex!) WHO I just happen to be an officer along side for a youth wrestling program. Full circle…all the things…she’s organized…I’m organized…it’s going to be GREAT!

..but back to the blog and photos at hand. There’s a popular place in Wellsburg that everyone likes to get photos, specifically prom and sometimes weddings, and Scott thought it’d be a “great idea” to do photos there. Remember, he didn’t know I was coming. So, Megan played into it…I jumped out of my car and tried to scare him (didn’t work) and then I told him this was a stupid idea. I could do SO MUCH better in other locations. BUT…we had to take the traditional “prom photos”, of course.

…and I hated EVERY second of it, made faces…and they laughed at me.

…and when I say I hated it…I hated it. Kayla caught this hilarious behind the scenes (below). They are laughing…I’m not…I’m not even looking at them. HA! You can call that my “this is stupid” pose!

Ok! Now that we’ve had a funny little introduction…let’s move on to the real goodies! I got them into my car and all four of us drove to our ACTUAL planned locations. Despite what Megan might think (GIRL, I’m side eyeing you right now…), I think they take a beautiful photograph together! YES?! YESSSSSSS!!! Be sure to give them ALL your love in the comments! These two know a lot of people in this area so I’m sure this blog is going to fly through the world wide web. It’s no surprise they are super comfy together because they’ve been through a lot…all of it really…and have done most of their adult life together!

I met Scott when we were just 4 years old. We’re basically the same age being born only about a month apart. We both attended Awana, a Christian program, at a local church. His mom played the piano and had the most beautiful voice (Hi, Cinda!). I can still picture her in the front left corner of the church playing and singing. My first memory of Scott and I forming a friendship was sitting in our cardboard cars (made by our parents with paper plate wheels, toilet paper cardboard roll exhaust pipes and all the things). We would have “drive in movies” at the church and they would line all us kids up in our cars while we watched movies and ate popcorn…at least…I think he was there. Maybe I made all that up BUT I know that’s where we met. I was 4…the memories are a little fuzzy. I know we both attended…maybe he wasn’t the boy beside me. I do talk to anyone I meet and have always been that way so who the heck knows. If you know me, you know! I DO know we were in the same Kindergarten class…were both band nerds in middle school (some of the BEST memories) and stayed close through all of high school.

I met Megan officially shortly after she and Scott started dating. We’d gone to high school together but she was two grades above me and we were involved in vastly different extracurricular activities (I was not a cheerleader…I have two left feet…and zero jump ability). I DID, however, photograph her brother’s wedding back in 2019! I do believe Scott’s profile photo is still a photo of him and Megan at that wedding. FUN, RIGHT?! She’s pretty much been to every friend get together Scott has attended since they got together!

If you know Megan, she’s not the hiking/outdoorsy kind of gal but she 100% went ALL IN so I went all in and we went on a hike to get to a waterfall. She wanted waterfall…we were going to find a waterfall!

…and it was WORTH IT! OMG! These are definitely just some of my very favorites I decided to put on the blog. Only Megan could make a 1920’s inspired (I’m not fashion-y…is that what you’d call it? Boho, maybe? I DON’T KNOW) AND pumps look good in a waterfall!

…Exhibit A! I love the contrast of Scott’s boots and her shoes in the water!

This is always the moment in the session everyone gets all comfy!

THESE (below) are in my top five favorites!

These two met when Scott was as police officer and Megan was working EMS. Their story is a long one…for real…we could write a book. And I watched it both near and from afar over the last 11-ish years (even went to Scott’s bon voyage party when he moved to Florida for about a year). As much as I love Scott as a friend, people will tell you I had Megan’s back a lot of the time! HA! Girls gotta stick together and all that AND what’s even more funny/ironic…is the first time Megan reached out to me, she was like, “You and I are going to have coffee and talk this out.” She had heard about Scott’s “female friend” who he had known his whole life and I had to giggle. It wasn’t the first time I’d gotten the side eye. I still chuckle about that. He was a groomsman for my husband in my own wedding too! Imagine my excitement right now! It’s going to be SO fun to see him as the groom standing up there with his bride while I sit…sit on my hands…with the rest of the guests and be a guest and smile and clap for my newly married friends. It’s going to be SO fun, I tell ya! Of all the weddings I get to be a guest at for the first time in 9 years…this was the one! THE ONE!

Less rambling, Hannah! More engagement session! Then, we changed locations for some variety! Megan has sent me some previews and wanted some “golden hour”, it wasn’t quite golden hour yet but I knew we’d get there! For now, I was able to get them that GLOW that I absolutely ADORE!

AHHHHH!! It’s happening!! Looking at all of these, I can’t wait to see what Kayla does for their wedding next year…you know, while I mingle with the guests with a cocktail in my hand! We’ll see if I can hold it together. My husband said there’s NO way I’m going to be able to 100% play wedding guest.

Next year and in almost one year, they’ll be standing here saying their “I dos”. I HAD NO IDEA Megan booked this location without even going out to see it. Talk about pressure…she just took my words and photos for it! So, we walked out to this location and took some “previews” of their ceremony location.

…and then Golden hour had started! You know I love my greens so I HAD to have some of those. Megan even did an outfit change!

Then, we drove over to a little location I know will ALWAYS have the best Golden Hour! I’ve already had people commenting on my Instagram post because they know I don’t usually do haze and golden hour but when friends ask…friends deliver, right?! Ask and you shall receive with me!

In true Hannah fashion, I had to get some non flare, Hananh-like photos to round out the bunch. What you don’t know is I put Scott in the most uncomfortable position on this hill, and I told him just to deal with it! HA! Ahhhhhhhh when you photograph friends, sometimes your professionalism goes right out the window!

A Megan request and let’s make it dreamy in black and white! The bow, I believe, was Kayla’s idea!

Scott finally told all of us he wasn’t sitting anymore. His back was taking a beating…so we finished off with some more dreamy, golden hour photos!

…and popped champagne to finish off this session!

I can’t believe it! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT! I can’t believe I just photographed and blogged my friends Megan and Scott’s engagement session! So many in our friends’ group have been asking…WHEN…and now we have a wedding date! I’m going to know SO many people at this wedding and I’m so pumped about that. I’m leaving my camera at home and coming with gifts in hand! It’s going to be GREAT! These two are planning an engagement party in a few weeks, an outdoor Oglebay Iron Gates ceremony next year followed by a HUGE celebration (and I’m sure a party to remember) in Wellsburg! Be sure to go over and like/follow Frye Fotos so we can all OoOOO and AHHHHH over their wedding photos!

You know I can’t end it without throwing back! They clean up GOOD, don’t they?!