Here’s what Liz had to say about it…

“Where words fail, music speaks” – Hans Christian Anderson.

Our DIY e-session was such a thrill as every scene was filled with unique touches that are meaningful to me. Being surrounded by so many heirlooms is one of the things I loved most about our e-shoot.  Pictures celebrating Ramon and me, while still paying homage to the history of love that came before ours, made me feel like it wasn’t just the two of us in that field; it was a host of lovers and family. We were standing on the shoulders of giants.

The piano theme was especially sweet, as my fiancé and I first bonded over our love for music and playing the piano – it is still one of our favorite pastimes together. We found this little gem on Craigslist (for free!) and with a lot of strong help we were able to get it home. My FH, Dad, and brother had a week’s worth of “manly time” taking out each and every piece of the piano’s insides in order to make it a bit lighter in weight.  I then was able to take the ever-handy spray paint and coat it with a fun robin’s egg blue – one of our wedding colors.  Finally, my mom did a beautiful job shabby chic-ing it with the sander to give it that perfect, imperfect look. It turned out so lovely, and we are excited to incorporate this into the décor at the actual wedding, perhaps adorning it with photos of this e-shoot!  My younger sister even came up from college several hours away to help with my hair, makeup, flowers, fruit – you name it, they did it.

I am so grateful to my parents, as they came to the photo shoot and were running around the field getting each scene beautifully set up. Every prop we used for the shoot was something from my family’s home: heirlooms rich with meaning. The piano was draped with a lace tablecloth passed down from my great grandmother, the candelabra was an engagement gift given to my parents, who in kind gave to Ramon and me. A Bible, which belonged to my grandmother, is tucked into the corner of the piano shoot. Inside, the weathered bindings stretch to make room for all the love letters she put there from my grandfather – Ramon read those letters to me during the session. There were two gold pocket watches, one from my father’s side, one from my mother’s, both set to the date of our wedding 4:16 (4/16/2011). The pictures and picture frames, the picnic blanket, piano bench, crystal cake plate, down to the pearls around my neck, was all from family. Everything has a story and is part of our history.

The picnic scene itself came together at the last minute. Shipra, mom and I were sitting around chatting and daydreaming the night before the photo-shoot, talking about the “English Garden Tea Party” theme in our wedding. That’s when we decided to add a picnic scene with teacups and fun desserts. That scene, loaded with special touches, included colorful fruits and sweets that weren’t antique, but they sure tasted great after the photo-shoot (and during, since Ramon couldn’t keep his hands off of them!).

The entire shoot was such fun. Shipra is the most creative person in the world: she wove my themes and precious memories into everything. One of my favorite memories was the way she giggled with excitement every time she took that perfect shot. She kept us laughing and smiling.

Standing in a field of long, golden grass, being photographed with the man you love and plan to spend the rest of your life with, seems like a standard enough engagement shoot.  Ours, however, was anything but ordinary and I owe it in large part to all the people that came together and helped make it happen.  Without Shipra’s enthusiasm, encouragement, and tenacity, this shoot would not have been the same. It was her vision that took my idea of a piano in a field and turned it into a love story.

Now you know why I love this couple so much! They were fully involved and invested in making their engagemnt session absolutely amazing And now for the results…

The day started with a bridal brunch at the Grand Floridian where Meag still remembers going as a toddler with her father and mother.  And ended with a party at the Hoop-De-Doo, a Disney musical revue and dinner show that was a favorite of Meag’s father.  And in between, the day was filled with other little details that were special to the couple, from the fact that the wedding day was planned to coincide with Meag’s mom’s birthday, to the brooch Meag wore on her sash, to the gift’s they gave each other and their wedding party.  If anyone of their guests wants to share on the significance of other personal touches at the wedding and the reasons behind them, please feel free to do so in the comments below.

It was an honor to be there, Tijerina Newlyweds.  Thanks for trusting me to be your photographer, xo

And there’s a ton of images coming up so please be patient while they load, it may take awhile!

And I should mention that the cabin doesn’t have internet access so unless I head over to a friend’s home to use their internet connection, I’ll be pretty much out of pocket through July except by phone.

I also wanted to take a moment to announce the winner of the Engagement Session contest I’ve been running on my website. The entries had to be 20 words or less telling me why they deserve to win. The winners receive a free engagement session as well as $100 print credit. So without further ado, here is the winning couple …..Nancy Lefebvre & Nick Trojand!!
They sent in little poem and a picture of themselves as well:
“We’re Nancy and Nick.
It’s us you should pick.
We’re willing to get airsick,
To hear your camera click!”

You two sure know how to pick out sweaters Congratulations!! Email me with the dates you’ll be in Orlando and we’ll set your session up. I’m looking forward to getting to know you both!