Jen & Jon
Goddard Park in East Greenwich, Rhode Island
May 7th, 2019
One of my favorite challenges as a wedding photographer is finding the story within the story that describes a couple better than they could describe themselves.
Sometimes the story presents itself when you meet a bride and groom. Other times, it takes longer to develop.
For Jen and Jon, I found out a lot about that story before I ever knew I'd be photographing their big day as the pair were guests at their friends Austin & Arielle's March wedding at the Pawtucket Country Club and, as fate would have it, I got to meet them on the dance floor and see how much fun they really are.
But to really understand them as a couple, I needed about an hour, a sunny day and a hilarious and laid-back engagement session at Goddard Park.
And what did I learn? That these two are a blast to be around and never stop laughing.
I knew heading into my time with Jen and Jon that we were shooting for an easy engagement session and it was unlikely I'd have too much time with them before they wanted to move on and stop being the center of attention.
When I first sat down with Jen to discuss her wedding photography needs, she made it pretty clear that posing for photos wasn't her thing but she could have fooled me. They both could have.
Jen and Jon were great to work with and kept each other laughing and smiling for our entire session at Goddard Park.
I decided to start Jen and Jon's session at the beach/carousel area of the park and I'm glad I did as there were a ton of nice spots all within a few feet, meaning we didn't have to go far to get this future bride and groom warmed up and at ease in front of the camera.
In fact, some of my favorite shots of the day came on the steps leading down to the beach parking lot as Jen and Jon had a beautiful look of love on their face trying their best to shimmy into the awkward poses I put them in.
You can't blame me though. They LOOK comfortable and, really, isn't that the most important thing?
If I had to choose a personal favorite location for this shoot, though, it would be the beautiful and colorful tree right on the edge of the park's golf course that just made for a beautiful backdrop.
Sure, we probably weren't supposed to be taking photos over there but I couldn't help it. It was far too pretty to drive by without stopping.
When Jen, Jon and I first met up before their shoot, they said they had hoped to be done in about an hour and, true to my word, I kept them close to that mark.
It wasn't easy ... I could have worked with them all afternoon but the limited window of time actually helped us target the best spots in the park, including a little horse farm with a beautiful fence in the western part of the park and a large set of rocks toward the park's exit.
By the time Jen, Jon and I parted ways, I couldn't help but think about what their wedding next year will look like.
I know I expect a really fun day but what I didn't realize is just how great these two would be to work with and pose.
While I know formal photos are unlikely to be this future bride and groom's "thing," it helps to know just how great they can be at it when they want and if their April 2020 wedding is any indication, we're only getting started in capturing this couple's love story.
And I can't wait for the next chapter ...
-PJS
