What’s the ONE thing we want all engaged couples to know? Here’s our first clue: It has nothing to do with engagement photography.
So often during the wedding planning process, we end up getting lost in the details, mired in drama and overly stressed about all the moving pieces and endless logistics.
In fact, it’s so easy to become out-of-control stressed when planning a wedding, that it takes some serious intentionality to avoid having a stressful experience.
That’s why, some of the best wedding advice we’ve ever heard is to intentionally enjoy the process — because if you don’t, the stress will take over.
So, how do you intentionally enjoy the wedding planning process? Easy. Take a note from the beautiful, loving couple we photographed in February during a stunning Mammoth engagement session.
John and Denise initially wanted a winter wedding in Mammoth, but when it came down to logistics, things got complicated. For example, the snow would be difficult for senior guests to navigate.
Rather than getting upset, however, they figured out how to bring their vision to life another way. They decided to do an engagement photography session in Mammoth, and they even took it one step further … and turned their dream photoshoot into a dream weekend getaway.
“We wanted to treat the weekend like a vacation, that also just so happened to involve engagement photos,” Denise said. “And it was completely stress-fee.”
John and Denise wanted to enjoy the weekend — not just go through the motions of another thing on their wedding to-do list. When you’re knee-deep in wedding tasks, it can be really hard to hold onto the meaning behind each of the thousands of things you have to do.
But John and Denise never lost sight of what they were really there for: each other, beautiful memories, and even more gorgeous photos.
“We decided to stay together in a cabin with Lindsay and Brian. In the mornings, we hung out in our jammies and had breakfast, and after the shoot, we ate great meals, goofed off and had fun,” Denise said. “We really tried to make it more than just a photoshoot. We wanted it to feel like a vacation that also happened to involve photos.”
What we love about how John and Denise approached their shoot was that they intentionally planned it so they could enjoy it themselves. It wasn’t about getting caught up in the wedding planning checklist. They weren’t doing it simply because it was something they thought they should do.
Instead, they planned a dream weekend that also happened to include photography.
“All four of us laughed the whole time. I think we were just having fun, more than anything, and that’s exactly what I wanted to show up in the pictures,” Denise said.
One particular shot happened to pick up the most laughs of the weekend.
“We were at Tamarack Lodge and Resort — this charming, antiquated lodge — and Lindsay wanted to take a shot of our rings, set up on a pinecone against a beautiful snowscape,” Denise explained. “As I handed her the rings, one dropped into about a foot of snow and disappeared. Right away, Lindsay looked at me and said: ‘No reason to panic. Absolutely nooo reason to panic.’”
With a laugh Denise said she wasn’t panicking, as Lindsay quickly started digging through the snow.
“She was like a chipmunk digging to find an acorn,” Denise said, laughing at the memory. “She kept saying not to panic, almost talking to herself, until all of a sudden she snatched it out of the snow, looked at me with so much relief, and said: ‘Oh my gosh, I was TOTALLY panicking.’ And we all busted up laughing.”
It was the impromptu moments like “the ring drop” that made the weekend so special, said the couple. Between shopping trips and brewery visits, the photography sessions were just as much fun as the sightseeing.
“It was also an extremely cold weekend in Mammoth when we went. The daytime temperatures dropped down to 7ºF, which made it really cold during the outdoor shoots. I was wearing a dress in the snow for some of it. So we would take a few shots, run back to the car, warm up, laugh, and run back out for some more poses,” Denise described. “We were literally being pelted in the face with snow in white-out conditions, and we were still laughing the whole time. It was just so fun — nothing was forced or staged.”
At one point, the couples thought they were going to be snowed in through the weekend, as the snow started creeping up and up outside their cabin windows.
“We just popped open a couple bottles of wine and waited until morning,” Denise said with a laugh.
And it was the magic of the entire weekend, including spending time together, that really made it an unforgettable adventure.
“The reason I picked Lindsay is I know her — her work ethic, her attention to detail, and her incredible talent. Plus she knew me. She knows what I’m looking for, and she knows how to make me laugh,” Denise said. “I think she was the second person I called, after my parents, when we got engaged. I didn’t interview another photographer. I didn’t request information from anyone else. Lindsay and Brian are a no-brainer choice for me, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to shoot my wedding.”
Stay tuned on #TheSchlickArtBlog for an in-depth look at the Reveal Session … and a gallery of John and Denise’s stunning engagement photos.
About Lindsay’s Photography for Women
With the mind of a businesswoman and the heart of an adventurer, Lindsay began to conceive of a different kind of Santa Clarita photography business. In her vision, stepping in front of the camera could be an empowering experience that gave her clients more than just a photograph — it would give people a new way of seeing themselves. With an eye for seeing the beauty in life and in others, Lindsay could use the camera to spread beauty.
About SchlickArt Photography and Video
SchlickArt, a boutique photo and video studio in Santa Clarita, started in March 2012 with the simple idea that empowerment creates a kind of beauty and authenticity that shines through every camera lens. Built on a philosophy — rather than a product, service or person — SchlickArt has rapidly evolved, meeting professional portraiture, business photo and business video needs as diverse as the community we capture. It’s the desire to take care of you, the client, that drives us at SchlickArt.