Madison and Pete's Road Trip Engagement

When Madison and I were first discussing what her engagement session would look like, she mentioned that she wanted some really artsy pieces for their walls of their home. Being my assistant, she's very familiar with my work and just wanted something slightly atypical. She then told me that I was free to do whatever I wanted. I live to hear those words. She had no preferences, no preconceived ideas. She just knew that she wanted creativity. I always start these conversations with asking what places are important to them. She started naming a few spots and then the thought occurred to me... what if we shot in ALL of them? What if we all piled into a car and drove around all day to every spot that means something to them? Then I thought, that's a seriously long engagement session... But what if we literally RAN through every spot? So I pitched the idea of having a sunny/warm/flowy/blurry/artistic, completely natural engagement session that, with a ton of movement, carries you through from start to finish. She loved it. I chose their clothes, mapped a route, and then my husband took the wheel so that I was free to shoot. We were off! The most special thing about this particular session was the complete freedom to create. In every place we stopped I gave them an idea of where to stand or sit, but beyond that, it was up to them. For the first half of the afternoon it was a little odd (at least for Pete who had never worked with me up until this point) that when they asked "now what," I either said "whatever" or didn't respond at all. But after an hour or so, they got the hang of it and just went with it, resulting in really fun, unique, and completely natural engagement "portraits." And a THRILLED photographer to boot! (I literally jumped up and down pretty much the whole time…) I hope you enjoy looking through the images as much as we enjoyed creating them! Our first stop: Downtown Lancaster. But I didn't feel like waiting until we got there to start shooting...The drive to Lancaster was incredibly gorgeous, as it generally is. But this day in particular, was just stunning. We started off at the restaurant where Pete proposed to Madison, while their families both waited inside the restaurant (with their faces smashed up against window). Outside, in a gorgeous little courtyard, complete with twinkle lights and waterfalls, Pete pulled out his guitar and serenaded his soon-to-be wife, before he got on one knee to propose. So we ran around the courtyard and got some really sweet images of them, including the most adorable impromptu guitar lesson, and a proposal reenactment.We spent the most time in this spot, which was about 15 minutes or 20 minutes. I intentionally didn’t want to hang around and pose like I generally do. So we purposefully moved fast to not allow myself the time to fall into old habits. So then we were off, quickly, to the next location! Pete and Madison started dating while she attended college in the area. As a result, they spent a lot of time walking around downtown when they got to see each other on the weekends. So we spent a few minutes running around Lancaster in honor of their favorite pastime.There's a spot on Rt. 896, somewhere between Pete's house and Madison's dorm room that has one of the most gorgeous views in the area. The first time Pete saw it (not while driving with Madison), he thought how wonderful it would be to have a house there. The first time Madison saw it (not while driving with Pete) she thought how wonderful it would be to have a house there. One day, she mentioned to him that she saw this amazing view and how, in that moment, she thought how cool it would be to live in one of those houses. He told her about his view... turned out to be the same view. So naturally, we stopped to take in that incredible view. Oh and there also happened to be a beautiful field there. That field that every photographer lives to shoot in. You know the kind.Next Stop: The church where they met. Even though Madison doesn’t actually remember when they met. She was in the 8th grade when her family started going to the same church that Pete’s family attended. He was around 19 or so, so they didn’t hang with the same friends... But that didn’t matter seeing as how it was the kind of church where everyone knew everyone. It was here that their paths first crossed... Turns out Madison and Pete look really good just sitting on the side of the road...And for our last stop of the day: Madison's home in time for the sun to set. For years, Pete would come over every couple of weeks to give Madison's brother guitar lessons. Then, once the lessons where done, he just kept coming over! It was here that they started to get to know each other, and where their friendship began. I first met Madison when I volunteered to help take about 16 students to Costa Rica on a mission trip through our church. Madison was 15 at the time. We were fast friends and even though I was 11 years her senior, it was clear from the beginning that she was the mature one in this relationship. Madison was always ahead of her time. Even as a teenager, she was well poised, always had it together, and just seemed to understand things that took me much longer to figure out. I knew something great was going to happen for this truly special girl.

One day, we were at a youth retreat and Madison wasn't feeling well. So I walked back to the cabin with her and we waited together for her mother to pick her up. She had just broken up with a boyfriend and we were talking about what was important to her in terms of relationships. It was then (when she was 16) that she told me a secret and made me promise not to tell anyone. (Neither of us knew that one day I would post it on my blog- but I got permission...I promise) She told me that she was secretly waiting. Waiting for Pete. He was in his 20's at the time, so a relationship at that time would have been just a teeny tiny bit (majorly) socially unacceptable. haha! But she knew what she wanted, and turns out, he did to. It was just a matter of waiting for the right time. I love them and their story. I LOVE that I get to capture it, and I CAN'T WAIT to shoot their wedding tomorrow. :) Thank you, Pete and Madison, for letting me design your engagement session and, basically, do whatever I wanted. It's really special to be able to shoot without any expectations. There's a freedom in that, and I hope to experience again someday soon. :)

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