A Sunny Day in the Park

Thanksgiving came and went way too quickly. I can't believe it's already over. I ended up having four different dinners between friends and different family members. I'm certainly going to be working off a few extra pounds in the gym this week. I really enjoyed having a week off from school to clear my head and prepare for the rest of the semester. Plus I got to spend more time with my sweet little puppy. I can't wait to go home for Christmas break so I can spend more time with him.

Over the break I also had the chance to get my engagement photos and I am in love with them! Stephan and I took a trip one weekend, back in October, to Greenville, S.C. for a fun engagement shoot. Our wonderful photographer, Hannah Squires, led us through Falls Park on the Reedy River. After two hours of posing and smiling, we couldn't wait to see these photos. Greenville is one of our favorite cities. My brother Ryan lives right downtown so we were also able to visit and stay with him that weekend.

Taking engagement photos was such a great experience and now we'll have these images for the rest of our lives. I was pretty nervous beforehand, but it ended up being a lot of fun. Stephan always knows how to make me relax and enjoy life. We strolled through the park and found little spots to stop and pose. I especially loved standing in front of the beautiful, green, ivy wall. It had rained the day before because of hurricane Matthew, so everything was vibrant and lush. This day, however, was perfectly sunny and just the right temperature. The golden sunlight really made our photos something special.

One of the hardest parts of planning for our engagement photos was picking outfits. I just had Stephan wear some navy pants with a clean, white dress shirt and fancy, brown boots. I found my beautiful white and tan dress the week before at Alter'd State. The best part about my dress was that it was on sale for only fifteen dollars. I thought about wearing heels, but I settled on flats because I knew I'd be more comfortable. After all the walking and climbing we did, I'm thankful I choose my comfy, platinum Jack Rogers.

Being comfortable was my top priority for this engagement shoot. There's no way I could look good in a photo if I felt uncomfortable. In the end, I think we picked the perfect outfits. The white dress and shirt looked beautiful contrasted with all the greenery of the park and Stephan's navy pants were classy and clean-cut. I sure did find a handsome man to marry. I'm so thankful that he'll be taking care of me and making me laugh for the rest of my life.

Hannah did such a great job coming up with pose ideas and picking just the right spots for us to stand. I'm lucky to have known her through my church for many years. This relationship really made the experience more exciting. She is a wonderful photographer with very reasonable pricing and excellent skills. I would recommend her to anyone looking for someone. She really knows how to capture those special moments in-between posing that can't always be created. I am so excited to see what she captures during my wedding this coming May. There's no one else I'd rather trust to photograph my perfect day. You can see more of her work on her Facebook page here.