There was nothing wrong with Michele’s expense report. And yet, there was Nick—a coworker who made Michele’s vocal cords close up and her mind go blank each time she saw him—standing over her desk, ready to help.
Coworkers who noticed the pair’s mutual attraction and shyness toward each other “told Nick I needed help on my computer with that expense report,” Michele said. “Lie! We both laughed about it and later thanked them for the push.”
Three and a half years later, Nick took Michele on a spontaneous trip to Catalina Island, where he proposed. “It was so romantic—one story out of our fairytale book,” Michele said.
The couple’s engagement session with photographer Alison Conklin was another for the book, Michele said.
Alison said she took the couple and their dog, Jake, to an “old, dirty, falling-apart but amazing silk mill factory in Easton, Penn.” Though many wouldn’t look twice at the mill, “it had such great character and I loved the broken windows and amazing lighting once we headed inside some of the buildings.”
Michele said, “She saw the silk factory for way more than what it was to us and that is the amazing thing about her. She has this vision that Nick and I just couldn’t grasp.”
She continued, “Seeing that place through her eyes was such an inspiring experience for us, and we are so happy we shot there. Our pictures came out amazing and they are so incredibly unique, which is what I love the most!”
Editor’s note: This is the second part of an engagement session featured today on Pretty Little Weddings. View the first part here.
Nick liked their relationship the way it was—in his opinion, there was no need to add a third person to the mix. Then he met Jake, Michele said, and Nick “instantly fell in love” with the golden Labrador puppy.
“Jake brings us so much joy and laughter each and everyday,” Michele said. “He is the most affectionate, loyal and cuddly little 90 pound lap-dog we could have asked for! Nick always says that now, he could never imagine life without Jake.”
When it came time to take their engagement photographs with photographer Alison Conklin, Michele said, “He’s like our baby, and it only felt normal include him in our pictures and most important time of our lives.”
Here, Alison tells Pretty Little Weddings readers how to include your pet in your e-session.
Q: When a couple wants their dog to tag along to the e-session, what’s your reaction?
A: I think it is a great addition to any shoot. It always creates a fun aspect to the session and can sometimes help calm the couple’s nerves about being photographed.
Q: How do you work the dog into the shoot?
A: Normally, we let the dog just check out the scenery and make sure that he feels comfortable. Then I find a great location to fit the couple and their pet and just have them play with him and talk. The dog loves the attention!
Q: Every shot PLW has seen of a pooch-included e-session, the dog has been perfectly happy to pose for pictures, even shooting the camera a tongue-filled grin. How do you get the dog to cooperate during the shoot?
A: Whenever their is a dog involved, I always ask if the couple can bring a friend or family member along to act as a “handler” so we can have an extra set of hands for the pet and also to allow some shots of just the couple alone. I also like to be the one who gives treats to the dog—that way he knows if he wants a snack, he has to look at me for it.
Q: Is there anything a couple should consider before including their pet in their e-session?
A: I think the most important thing is just to make sure that the pet is comfortable. Bring treats and extra water. Try to have a friend there to help with the animal. And just to remember to have fun with it all! Including your pet can create some really fun and wonderfully candid moments.
The start of Carmen and Dusty’s story sounds like something Taylor Swift might swoon to sing about—the college quarterback asked the art major to the homecoming dance. “The rest,” Carmen said, “is history.”
The bride continued, “Well, actually, it has been an exciting seven-year adventure of graduating college, new jobs, changing jobs, living together, living apart and then a surprise proposal three days after New Years!”
When Dusty proposed during a typical walk with his mother’s wedding ring, he began a trend that would define the couple’s Snohomish, Wash. wedding—keeping things simple, and giving new life to family treasures.
The couple let their small-town upbringing influence their wedding, adding “a little bit of vintage flair and DIY decorations” to their country-themed affair, Carmen said. When they spotted Swan’s Trail Farm, “Dusty and I both looked at each other and said, “I can totally see us getting married here.”
They dug in to design their invitations and reused the bride’s grandparents’ cake topper. Carmen said, “we tried to use decorations that we already owned or that we borrowed from family and friends. Friends and family made homemade pies for our dessert table, and my great aunt made us a centerpiece wedding cake. It made it special for us to have all of our family involved, and that is what we wanted for our wedding planning process.”
The bride’s dressed was designed and sewn by her mother. It was “an amazing experience to go through with her and I loved the end result,” Carmen said. “We could not have done it without my mom! She put in so many hours researching, sewing my dress, scouring antique stores for cake stands, staying up almost all night to sew, fold and stamp invitations, shaping candles to fit into mason jars—you name it, she was on it! Also, all of our family and friends really came together and contributed to give our wedding the ‘family party’ atmosphere that we desired.”
There’s no place like home. So when lovebirds Erin and Brian began their reception venue search, they looked no further than “my parent’s house,” in Tomball, Texas, the bride said. “We decided that if we wanted something that felt like a home reception, then we should actually have a home reception!”
Erin envisioned a garden party fete, letting her her “love of birds” influence the décor. She dressed her bridesmaids in dove-colored gowns and laid birdcages throughout the property.
“Then we added some beautiful purple flowers and some aqua colors,” Erin said, the bride and her mother handcrafting the blue table clothes from fabric she found at Hobby Lobby. “It was a lot of work, but it turned out just as I imagined.”
Erin and Brian served their 250 guests bite-sized portions of what Erin calls a “deconstructed meal”—three different soups served in punch glasses, mini salads placed in pastry shells, and a smashed potato bar were just some of the highlights.
The food stations “also gave our guests the opportunity to mingle the whole night,” Erin said.
