Kaitlyn & Kade’s Black and White City Engagement Session

I’ve got a new couple for you today on the blog but also…they may look familiar too because they were both in a bridal party I photographed last October! So, you can imagine I was SO excited when Kaitlyn popped into my inbox a few months ago and booked me for their wedding. They are a TON of fun and a blast to be around! So first, please give Kaitlyn and Kade all your Hannah Barlow Photography love! Their engagement session is live on the blog now!

Kaitlyn had already done some country, field vibe photos prior to this session. So with me, she wanted to go more formal, fun, some posed and some candids…in the city! She shared some ideas and since we’re both from the Ohio Valley, I promised her I could make Wheeling OOoooOO so beautiful in all the ways her inspiration photos glowed! I like to keep it local and NOT complicate things when it comes to location. I do believe this session matched the vision and a HUGE shoutout to them for allowing me to be very “Hannah” about this and pick the most RANDOM spots! My couples trust my crazy ideas and never goes unnoticed! These two were the same!

I did some scouting prior to them arriving. We ended up parked right next to each other so I threw them both in my car and off we went. I don’t usually use FOUR different spots but for sessions because it can become chaotic and I like my galleries to be consistent BUT given their very “we trust you go with the flow” attitudes, I was all about the different locations! AND they all match!

A big part of the inspo photos she shared was a lot of black and white and light stone. When I tell you I chose the most random locations, I mean it! You’d never know this was Wheeling though, right?! It looks big city to me! These ones below are some of my favorites!

Let’s talk about their history together! These two went to high school together but it wasn’t until after Kaitlyn graduated and then had some mutual friends who allowed them to spend time together that they grew close. They tell me their friendship before dating is something they think helps them be such a strong and successful couple together! They were together six years before Kade proposed to Kaitlyn in Peach Tree City, Georgia while they were visiting family. She tells me Kade’s aunt (shoutout to her) helped set the whole thing up. She owns a bridal shop and together they transformed the back porch to make it a proposal fairytale! She even flew the moms down secretly so they could be a part of all this! THEN, there was a wedding dress appointment the very next day (which makes sense why Kaitlyn told me at this session she already had her dress). Shoutout to SureBride and off to follow them now!.

Don’t let the other photos fool you, we laughed a lot too!

We changed locations a bit to a building I have photographed before (the building above was new for me)! It’s always a fan favorite. It’s also…the post office. HA! I photoshopped post office signs for a solid hour! That’s the beauty of a random location! You can make it look like anything!

They did some dancing and some spinning…and a dip!

Then, we went to the rooftop and this is where I failed miserably – not in taking the photos…but everything else. I usually just drive up to the top but one side was roped off and the Italian fest was being cleaned up so I was afraid they’d stop us in there (looking back…I don’t know why I thought this). We walked…and ended up scaling the entire…multiple…so many flights of stairs all the way to the top. HUGE face palm moment. Kaitlyn and I were huffing and puffing when we got to the top. TO BE FAIR, I did offer to go get my car when I realized the parking garage was empty. That’s what this blog is all about though…sharing alllll the moments because the internet likes to be perfect…and we’re not perfect around here. We’re just living our best lives and taking pretty photos!

…and it was beautiful up there!!

…and live their best lives they sure did! We topped off this session with some more fun and candid moments!

And that’s it for now! These two are planning a spring wedding with spring colors and pastel vibes at the newest and hottest venue in Ohio – Crescent Acres! It’s also got the same bright and white very “clean” vibes so I’m super pumped to match this session to their wedding!

Thanks for reading everyone! Have a great day!