I cannot believe how quickly 2016 has flown by, and that we are already at this point again. It feels like yesterday that we were doing our engagement favorites of 2015. How is it possible that we have already experienced another twelve months, and are merely a week and a half away from the New Year?! This year has brought so many wonderful couples into our lives. Getting to be a part of their wedding planning process has been really fantastic. As the year winds down, I love reminiscing about all of their sessions. Every engagement shoot gives us a glimpse into who our couples are and allows us to make fun memories with them. This year, though, I feel as if we have personally been able to open up, as well. We've been sharing more of who we are in order to connect to our couples on an even deeper level during their sessions. I don't think it's any secret that engagements are my absolute favorite aspect of wedding planning. They allow the couple to sit back and just be together. Sure, there is a little posing involved, but it always feels natural and comfortable. We want every engagement shoot to feel exciting, even to the most resistant partner. When we get emails or comments saying how nervous a couple was before their session, but became confident due to our encouragement and enthusiasm, it makes us feel so good. Our entire goal is for the couple to know ...

I am super excited to share our first ever camping engagement session! We met up with Sarah and Brandon at Gettysburg National Military Park on Friday evening. The forecast had been calling for storms all day, so Sarah and I were obsessively checking the radar. Luckily for us, the weather man was incorrect because the only thing in the sky were perfect clouds. It was honestly the best evening. Even with us having some slight trouble finding an accessible battlefield, this was a wonderful night. Shawn and I were amazed by the historic beauty in Gettysburg, but what we were most looking forward to was photographing Sarah and Brandon at their campsite. Sarah has been coming to the Granite Hill Camping Resort with her family since as early as she can remember. When her and Brandon began dating, he was obviously brought in on the family tradition. It's a very special place to them, and surely one that will be special in the many years to come. I can already imagine their own children running through the fields and roasting marshmallows over the fire. It's sweet to think about what this place means to them and it's really awesome that they brought us into this sentimental spot to capture their engagement photos. Chatting more with Sarah and Brandon, it's so easy to see how well they fit together. They both love telling jokes and being goofy, which I think is the most important aspect in any relationship. If you can't...

On Thursday, Shawn and I met up with Michelle and George for their cool autumn engagement session. The location for their shoot was, conveniently, right in Michelle's backyard. How cool is it that she lives right beside the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area?! Walking on the trails of this gorgeous spot, it was hard to believe that civilization was so close. It seemed like we had stepped into a totally different world. Middle Patuxent Environmental Area has so much to offer: there is a small pond area, a grassy field, and even a bridge that passes over a river. This location is so perfect, and I'm really glad that Michelle suggested it. The greatest part about any session is getting to know the couple. Michelle and George are such an adorable pair. Shawn and I loved strolling through the environmental area with them because it allowed us to chat about everything. The biggest topic was Michelle's dog, Wrigley, who is a super handsome 12 year old Golden Retriever. Age is no hang-up for Wrigley, as he still possesses all the sass and spunk of a 4 year old pup. We really enjoyed watching these three interact with each other, since everything they did was sweet and fun. George even took a little break to run around the environmental area with Wrigley, which had us all laughing since Wrigley is still a speedy little dude. I'm having the best time getting to know more about these three with every passing day. Shawn...

It is always a little daunting to have photos taken. It's not something that is normal for day-to-day life and can be one of the hardest things to prepare for. For me, I instantly clam up when a lens is pointing at me. Spending so much time around cameras does not prepare me for being in front of the camera. I know that most couples feel the exact same way as I do. The great thing is, there are ways to prepare for your engagement session that will greatly put your mind at ease. Engagement photos can feel very strange and it can often times seem like your relationship isn't accurately portrayed in them. When we chat with our couples about their engagement shoot, one of the most common thing is someone in the couple not understanding the point of these photos. They don't care, they hate their photo taken, or they just want to hire us for the wedding and be done. Unfortunately, that's not how this all works. We want to experience your relationship in advance. With our photos, we get really wonderful emotion because we don't just show up on the wedding day. Our bond with the couple is what creates a genuine interaction and ability for them to show us who they are. Your photos are important, and we want everyone to feel something when they look at your photos. The following advice to prepare for your engagement session all go hand-in-hand together. If each...