Nicole & Kurt
Newport, Rhode Island
December 10th, 2017
Between holiday gatherings, last-minute shopping and rushing to catch up on editing fall wedding photos before the end of the year, December can be one of the busiest and most stressful months for a wedding photographer.
But one of the nice aspects of this time of year -- for those of us who don't love snow and cold weather anyway -- is that it's usually not too busy in terms of new assignments as most couples tend to avoid late fall/early winter outdoor photo shoots.
You can rest assured there's always one couple that will brave the elements, though, and if there's one thing the past few years have taught me, it's that those couples tend to be the most fun and carefree to work with.
And that's why I was so excited to work with Nicole and Kurt prior to their December engagement session in Newport.
Even though I had only met this soon-to-be bride and groom one month earlier, Nicole, Kurt and I hit it off right off the bat and felt like longtime friends as we walked the streets of downtown Newport on a cold and windy Sunday afternoon in mid December.
And the more we talked about their wedding plans--they're getting married next November at one of my all-time favorite venues--the more excited I became to shoot that wedding.
2018 may still be a ways away but couples like Nicole and Kurt are the reason I can't wait to get back out there because if their wedding is half as fun as their engagement session was, we're going to have a blast.
Nicole and Kurt's engagement session began on a dock near the Pell Bridge and I can't think of a better way to say "Newport" than starting there. Of course, that also meant our session would start as cold as possible as the water and the wind combined with early winter temperatures made shooting engagement photos an incredible challenge. Thankfully, this bride and groom smiled and did their best to ignore the elements and I think the photos we got on this dock were well worth the chilly hands we had to deal with.
Nicole and Kurt had one goal for their engagement session ... capture the spirit of the City by the Sea and whether it was taking in the historical homes in and around the downtown area or walking along Thames Street and seeing some of their favorite spots together, this was a photo session where the character of where we were shooting was just as important as WHO we were shooting and I think we did a great job showing off one of Rhode Island's most important cities.
I particularly loved how relaxed Kurt and Nicole were throughout this shoot. As we walked from one street to another and through the twists and turns of an area typically swarming with tourists, it was clear there was a lot to see in this little city and a lot of great places to photograph an awesome couple who love the history and tradition of colonial Rhode Island.
Were it not for the chilly temperatures, I am convinced I could have spent another three or four hours with Nicole and Kurt during their engagement session. This bride and groom are incredibly relaxed and I loved watching the way they both brought out the funny in each other.
And even though their wedding is nearly a full year away, I could tell how excited they are about the big day as they both have so many ideas about what they'd like to do and how they envision the day going.
I have a lot of amazing couples coming up in 2018 but I can tell Nicole and Kurt are going to be a special pair whose day is one I'll remember for a long time and I can't wait to be there and watch it all happen.
So congratulations Nicole and Kurt on a super fun engagement session ... Is it November 2018 yet? :)
-PJS
