Downtown Engagement Session

Sometimes people have a unique element that encapsulates their love story…like coffee for example. Many couples choose a coffee shop as an ideal first date location (myself included!). Thankfully there is so much more to this love story than coffee!

I met with Josh and Erin at the Black Sheep Coffee Shop in downtown Harrisonburg Virginia. We all ordered lattes and chose a sweet little corner to sit and talk. There was a buzz of the people around us and the smell of hot coffee and spices. They then told me their engagement story.

Coffee shops, it seems, are also ideal locations for proposals.  Josh told me how he brought a very unsuspecting Erin out for a typical coffee date. You can imagine her joy and astonishment when ‘Marry me’ was revealed on the bottom of Erin’s latte! Erin’s face beamed as we re-lived that memory. Moments like this is why I love being a photographer. I love hearing all these stories.

We commemorated their unique engagement at ‘Black Sheep Coffee’ which turned out absolutely adorable! The lighting was perfect. It casted a dramatic but luminescent glow on the couple which blended well with the brick wall and the red couch. Conversation was light and easy. No problem getting them to pose naturally.

It was incredibly romantic watching them together. The way they gazed into each others eyes and how they’d erupt into giggles. None of us could stop smiling.

For the rest of the engagement session, we ventured to Lake at Cedar Hill (a new scenic wedding venue in the valley). Erin requested some shots with the gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains that the Shenandoah Valley is known for! They posed on a pier with the mountains looming in the distance… The sun slowly dipped below the Blue Ridge and cast a romantic glow over the Shenandoah Valley.

My favorite moment though was after the session ended. When we all stood around talking about their goals, futures and relationship. We got so caught up in conversation it was pitch dark by the time we left! I am so honored to be able to capture the essence of what brings these lovebirds together.

This particular couple holds a special place, as I’ve known the bride since she was an adorable three year old. We went to church togather when I was just a teenager. I even got to babysit her! That probably makes me sound so old though, doesn’t it?! Josh & Erin, I am so looking forward to your fall wedding! To seeing good friends and celebrating together. I pray for God blessings and protection on you as you plan and I can’t wait to see where He will lead you!