Country Wheeling Engagement Photos | Brittany + Daniel

I’M BACK! So, I want to give a big, warm “Welcome back!” to the loyal blog readers and “WELCOME” if you’re new here! Nice weather has arrived and wedding season is sneaking up on us and that means ONE of many things…BLOGS ARE BACK! I already have one wedding blog on the books for this year but Brittany and Daniel get to be my first engagement session of the 2025 season! So, you know what to do…please give them all you Hannah Barlow Photography love and ENJOY!

If there’s one thing you can confidently say about me, it’s that I love when things come full circle (OK…and I’m loud and have a lot of energy but I digress). If you’ve been around here long enough, Brittany may look familiar to you. AND that would be because her sister was my very first bride EVER in 2015 and Brittany was in her wedding!!! That’s right, people! If it wasn’t for Brittany and her family…Hannah Barlow Photography would NEVER exist! So, imagine my excitement when she wanted to do her engagement photos at her sister’s property…you know…my first COUPLE EVER! I did get to see Drake (my first Groom ever) but Brittany’s sister was working (we missed you, Caitlin). Nonetheless, it was just one of those moments…where I’m forever grateful how the world spins and how things work themselves out.

Ok! Enough of that though…this is about Brittany and Daniel and their beautiful country/lakeside engagement photos! We started off easy and in a simple spot and snapped a few!

Then, as I do…I moved them to the dock. It wasn’t exactly what I was envisioning so I went for a walk and wandered…as I often do! It takes me a while to warm up and get in my groove!

I turned around and saw how the sun was lighting up the hillside on the other side of the lake so I had them stand at the end of the dock. These two are getting married this fall in November so I assumed these were going on a save the date (I was correct) so a fall like vibe this time of year was totally doable!

Walking and snuggling is a MUST at every Hannah Barlow Photography session!

We continued to walk and snuggle and I got the idea to zoom way in on their hands for a “hand holding ring shot”…it turned out to be much more difficult than I had imagined because sometimes I’m just not good with words!!! So, I started moving their hands where I needed them and VOILA! We had a good laugh. Brittany kept tucking her thumb and it looked like she only had four fingers at one point!

…AND THEN! All my wandering paid off because I found a beautiful, little spot down in the woods where the light was just calling our names! It’s the GLOW that I always dream about in photos!

…and even though I LOVE color…the black and whites are stunning too!

It’s at this point in every session that I get more comfortable and the couple gets more comfortable and we’re able to mix it up with posing. These two did not even hesitate to mix things up for my camera! I can’t figure out if that’s because Brittany knows me or if Daniel is just super comfortable to be around or if it’s a combination of everything (it’s most likely this one) but they absolutely kept giving me the best photos! AND I even texted their videographer (Hey, Mr. Geery!) and said “Brittany and Daniel are a great couple! Going to be a great wedding!” Yes…Yes…us vendors do this!

Let’s show off this ring!

Dancing in the LIGHT! Who is SO pumped about this nice weather? WE WERE! Also, this session was originally scheduled for weeks prior…on a day that was windy, 20 degrees and just bleh (the couple and the snow was the only things I was looking forward to). I tried to feel Brittany out and see if she wanted to reschedule. She didn’t…but then sickness hit…and forced us to reschedule anyway and LOOK HOW GOOD THESE PHOTOS ARE NOW! Like I said, everything comes full circle!

Don’t ever let anyone tell you the trees aren’t pretty this time of year!

Daniel brought his fishing pole for some photos and now they’re some of my favorites!

I always, at every session, hesitate to have couples do sitting photos. It’s just hard to make a sit down pose look good AND adding a dress into the mix makes it tricky. Would you believe me if I told you I just slightly showed them how to sit down (sounds weird typing it…but you know what I mean) and these two just did it like it’s natural to pose like this?! I mean…I’m across a lake…there’s only so much coaching I can do! This is all them! And it continued on later…you’ll see!

Keeping with the fall (but not fall) theme I had in my head. Brittany drove us up to this little location with some dead, high grass…because you KNOW I love the dead grass! It always lights up so pretty and golden this time of year!

THEN…they did an outfit change and took me to this little building. The sun followed us and kept giving us that ooey gooey glow! Outfit choices were 10/10 too!

Daniel suggested the rock wall (he earned himself more groom photos this fall than he’s probably going to want…HA!) and again, they NAILED sitting photos!

…and another one!

…and at this point we planned to go to a coffee shop. I had it all set up and everything with the owner (Hey, Sarah! of Sarah’s on Main in Wheeling, WV) only to realize I messed up my timing and they were closed. HUGE whomp whomp for me! I’m still racking my brain and I’m GOING to figure it out. These two met at a coffee shop so it makes sense they’d have coffee in their engagement photos. I NEED it in my life…so I already plan to incorporate coffee into their wedding photos but also…I’ve got my thinking cap on! TO BE CONTINUED!

These two are planning a fall wedding so it won’t be long until you see them again! There are going to be lots of familiar faces at their wedding and while I want it to be ALL about them at this time…you better believe I’m going to be doing a side by side of photos from her sister’s 2015 wedding to her 2025 wedding this year at the end of the year for the end of year blogs!

Also…one last thing…Brittany is from my town. We actually graduated high school together. Her mom used to teach at our high school so there’s a high change our old English teacher is going to see and read this. Ms. Stone…once again, I’m sorry. I swear I haven’t forgotten all you taught us. Don’t get out your pen! I type like I talk…and I talk a lot…and fast! You told me to stop talking in class MANY times! HA!

Thanks for reading everyone!!! Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!

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Disclaimer: Hannah Barlow Photography engagement blogs only represent a small portion of photos the couple actually receives in their private gallery.  The blogs are meant to highlight my own favorite photos and favorite moments of the session and do not represent an entire gallery.

With permission specifically from the couple, galleries can be shared if you wish to view it in its entirely and/or order prints.

info@hannahbarlowphoto.com for more info.