Kristen’s connection to Lake Winnipesaukee is really personal. She has been coming to her grandparents lake house her whole life. When it came time to pick a location for their wedding- well it was no hard choice. This is also a practical thing- both of their families are in the New England area so New Hampshire was a quick drive for most guests.
But then Covid hit and their August 2020 wedding was postponed. I was devastated for them. Kristen and Zach had just been at our own wedding in Tennessee May 2019 so I know difficult it must have been for them to postpone with only a handful of months to go until their big day. We talked a lot during the early pandemic as they debated what to do. They made the hard call like many others. They postponed, reduced the guest list to compile with local laws, and waited another year.
This meant when I arrived at her grandparent’s lake house there was this unique energy buzzing around us. I think destination weddings produce this excitement- guests arriving from their travels. Lots of anticipation, lots of hugs after a journey. Their family was meeting here for a kick off party (and then we all went to a brewery to meet the other arriving guests) and you could feel the long awaited excitement taking hold of the group. Luckily they let me steal these two for a quick hour session. I think one of the things that really tickles me in engagement sessions is my own reaction to the photos. I research and gather some loose plans for what poses I’ll do where. I was certain the water photos were going to be my favorite (and they were early on)- lots of bright backgrounds and romance but putting the blog together now a few months later, I felt myself drawn more to the early photos. Maybe it’s because her grandparents home is in the background, maybe its the birch trees (one of my favorites) but I think its that Kristen and Zach seem so at peace- none of the usual nervous energy couples tend to have days before the wedding, rather this quiet inner calm that comes from having to wait an extra year, facing a tough year together and coming out stronger. I look back on those first images and see a couple so in love and so ready for their day.
