Worth a Thousand Words

I am in no shape to do anything important today... up to and including this attempt to assemble my thoughts into a coherent blog post. I am still floating somewhere in the general vicinity of cloud 9, buoyed by an incredible evening and reluctant to let my feet hit the ground again just yet.

Last night, nearly 27 months after Dan and I first got engaged, we were lucky enough to do a (slightly belated) "engagement" shoot with the local photographer I've been dying to work with for... approximately 27 months. I stumbled across his website even before Dan actually popped the question, and one look at his engagement gallery was all it took. His work is nothing short of breathtaking, down to the very last picture. He takes advantage of lighting and landscape to ensure that each shot is more than just a cute picture of two people, but a truly stunning photograph. His sessions are uniquely styled to reflect the couple's personality, each one different and yet absolutely perfect in their own way. I have been waiting (mostly) patiently for our turn for what seems like forever. With Dan out of town for military training and the huge rush to get things ready before the first wedding, there was no time to even think about an engagement shoot, but I was determined to get one in this time around, despite the fact that we are technically a bit past "engaged."

Even with such awesome expectations, last night blew me away. I started off the afternoon with the photographer's wife, who styles for most of his shoots, as she worked nothing short of magic on my hair and face. She was incredibly sweet and we had a great time chatting while she worked. I was absolutely thrilled with the final result, and snapped just a few pics:

(post makeup, pre curly hair)

(headed out to our venue with half of my hair pinned up to keep it curly)

We chose to do the shoot around the grounds at our wedding venue, which turned out to be the perfect spot for lots of variety and some spectacular views. We were able to take full advantage of the late afternoon light when we first got there, chased the sun as it set below the surrounding mountains, and then headed up to higher ground and were rewarded with an extraordinary sunset. The photographer was everything I hoped and more -- he was so laid-back and guided us perfectly without making anything feel posed or forced, welcoming our input and ideas as well. He snapped pictures as we walked, getting candid shots of us joking, laughing, and having so much fun. He really took the time to get to know us and had us relaxed and smiling the whole time without once having to think "smile for the camera." Honestly, it was the most fun few hours I have spent in a very long time, and even my picture-hating hubby seemed to love every minute.

last photo of the night, taken when we stopped for dinner after the shoot. still smiling!

I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday evening. I am still grinning just thinking about it, and know that I will be for weeks, anticipating the arrival of these pics. Can't wait to share them with you when they get here!

   Love,

    Meg