Evan & Michelle
Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island
December 27th, 2018 & March 10th, 2019
I'm a photographer who prides himself on reading my clients really well and when something isn't going right during a shoot, I can usually tell and try to tackle the problem head on.
So when I was lucky enough to photograph Michelle and Evan during their Roger Williams Park engagement photo session back in December, I knew something was a bit off when the bride looked a little disappointed despite us having beautiful weather and a lovely time getting to one another.
Well, apparently, the weather was TOO good for Michelle as she really wanted her winter engagement photos to take place in the snow and that's not really something we had control over.
Luckily, I'm also a photographer who wants his clients to be 100 percent happy so when Michelle asked if we could have a do-over when there actually WAS snow falling, I was happy to accommodate ... even if it took nearly all winter for it to actually happen.
And thankfully we did because it was well worth the three-months we had to wait.
Even though it looked more like a spring day than a winter one, Michelle and Evan's first crack at an engagement session was a picture-perfect afternoon and the absolute best way I could have capped an amazing 2018 year for my photography business.
I had a great time interacting with this bride and groom and loved that they were open to all of my posing ideas ... even if I labored around gingerly and was worn out from one of my busiest shooting seasons to date.
The results, I think, tell a beautiful story and truly captured the unique spirit of this bride and groom.
Michelle and Evan chose Roger Williams Park for their location and I'm glad they did as we were able to hit all of the familiar spots in the park in rapid fire and take full advantage of a rare sunny day at the end of December.
By far my favorite spot for this shoot, however, was the Temple of Music as we lucked out and no one else was on the scene, a rare instance as I've done shoots with anywhere from 20-30 people mulling about in the background.
And, to my delight, Michelle and Evan brought a couple of props that show off the theme of what I know what will be a really fun wedding day later this year.
By the time Michelle, Evan and I called it a day for their December engagement session, we had already been discussing getting together one more time for a brief winter-themed shoot if, and when, we eventually had snow on the ground.
To my surprise, we had an incredibly mild winter this year and it wasn't until March 10th, a full 10 weeks later, that the stars aligned and we were able to make it happen.
Boy am I glad we did.
Michelle and Evan's March engagement session only lasted for about 90 minutes but in that time, we captured some awesome photos ... no doubt thanks to great timing and a snowstorm that started right as we started taking photos and turned to rain right as we left.
To make things even sweeter, and a little more poetic, Michelle had asked to return to Roger Williams Park so many of the shots we got this time around were in the same locations as before ... but completely transformed thanks to the magic of winter.
As much as I loved Michelle and Evan's first shoot, I think the second session in the snow came out even better and I adored watching the way they looked at each other and pretended as if they weren't freezing.
And a special credit to the groom-to-be. If he had any reservations about laying down on a blanket in the snow, he sure didn't seem like it as he was good to go for any request I or his future bride had for photos.
As Michelle, Evan and I called it a wrap on their engagement photos, I couldn't help but smile to myself thinking how lucky I am sometimes. While the last thing I want to do is have a disappointed client, sometimes it's best as it can lead to even better results down the line.
Michelle knew what she wanted and had a vision for her photos and, thanks to her and with an assist from Mother Nature, we were able to get exactly that and much more.
I don't envision Michelle will have snow on her wedding day, what with it being set for early October but it's nice to know if it happens, we'll be ready.
In the meantime, this bride and groom are sure to sit high on my list of most anticipated weddings of 2019. Because if their wedding day is anything like their engagement shoots were, I know we're all in for a shoot to remember.
-PJS
