Caroline and Shawn’s romantic Richmond engagement session was everything a photographer dreams of. Well, except for the giant summer storm that rolled in right at the start of their session. These two are the absolute sweetest people and were such troopers through it all. It didn’t matter to them that we had what looked like a death cloud rolling in behind us, they were there for the shot! We laughed, we sprinted, we did the dang thing and it was SO worth it! I’m so lucky I get to work with such amazing couples who trust me and are up for anything!
We started our time for their Richmond engagement session at the Virginia State Capital! The flower lined staircase leading up to the front doors were the perfect leading lines to start the session with. Caroline’s royal blue dress (all linked here!) instantly makes a the perfect pop against the yellow flowers and white columns. They so naturally fell into poses and literally made my job so easy! At the brink of the storm we had just made it up to the columns when we made the decision to make a run for it back to the cars to save any chance of hair and makeup for more photos.
So, after the few at the capital we made our way to our next location at a park in Historic Downtown Richmond. Thankfully we had a few breaks in the clouds, just enough for a little bit of light. It was truly a miracle rain was still holding off. Caroline’s next outfit was this gorgeous dusty pink, ruffle dress that really brought out the fairytale vibes next to the pond. We knew we still wanted to capture Caroline’s third dress, so we quickly changed in the car and hopped over to the neighborhood in front of this gorgeous historic home. It started sprinkling so we only got a few in this flowy, floral gown before the bottom completely fell out and started pouring on us.
Even through the dark clouds and nasty weather, we still were able to capture some STUNNING images for these two and their Richmond engagement session. It just proves two points: 1) Outfits can make or break your session! Just look at their high-end, classy fits. Amazing. 2) You should always be able to trust your photographer! Experience and knowledge from your photographer are how you can still have beautiful, dreamy images in the middle of a storm.
Okay, and now, you need to hear how cute their love story is!! Written by Caroline!
The Proposal:
“Shawn and I are from the same town of less than 5,000 people! It’s rare to find a spouse in that small of a town, but we couldn’t be more grateful! We met in December 2012 at my hometown Christmas parade. My dad is the mayor of my town, and we were riding in the front of the parade and Shawn found me after and gave me his jacket because it was so cold. Fast forward 5 years, we moved in together December of 2017. I had just finished my double major at UVA and started my full-time job at NBC 29 as a reporter. It was certainly a big month, but little did I know it was about to get even bigger.”
“It was Christmas Eve, and my mom was freaking out that she didn’t have enough gifts for my dad for Christmas. She told me how much my dad loved a portrait of my sister and me when we were little, so she asked if Shawn could take a remake of that photo before Christmas Eve dinner. When we got to Seay Park, I was set on remaking that photo perfectly. After more than 20 shots, my sister and I finally got one that was useable. Before we left the park, I asked my sister to take a photo of Shawn and me. As we started to take pictures, Shawn kept asking me to move closer to the gazebo because he said the lighting was better there. I told Shawn I knew more about photos, but still moved over towards the gazebo anyways. When I thought we had taken enough photos, I turned around to walk away. As soon as I turned, Shawn grabbed my hand, and got down on one knee. He popped the question, and of course I said YES! “
“It was so perfect — the same park where we met 5 years prior, the date –my grandparents got engaged over 50 years ago on Christmas Eve –the company (my sister was there to photograph/ videograph the whole thing). I couldn’t have asked for a better proposal! Shawn also bought my ring from the same local jeweler where my dad bought my mom’s engagement ring, and he took my mom with him to help pick it out. We got married May 11, the same day of the month we started dating, so Shawn can never forget 😉 haha “
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