Back to Where it All Began
In November this past year, C and I took a trip out to Seattle for a little get-away. Tickets were cheap, the food is known to be good, and we could get some time in the city and out in the mountains with little effort. We had such a great time walking around Pike Place, Chinatown, and the arboretum. We ate oysters, all the Asian noodles in existence, and dined on sushi. For hiking, we headed out to Snow Lake Trail for a morning go and did the trail out to Snow Lake, which was absolutely beautiful! I’ll admit I spent the first half the trail paranoid about any potential mountain lions or bears, but after awhile I warmed up and enjoyed being surrounded by NW nature. The trail was snowy and only got worse with ice as we got closer to Snow Lake, but it was totally worth the effort and any chance of slipping down the mountain (haha). It was at the lake that we made a little birdie friend, who reminded us very much of Foxy and her love for food, and munched on massive pears, cheeses, and meats that we brought with us from Pike Place. After cleaning up our mess and heading out, C called out to me and I turned around thinking he still had trash he needed to put in the pack, but I saw him in a lunge. All I could think was “omg he’s slipped in the mud!” but, instead, he asked if I’d marry him. I was in utter shock. Relieved, because he didn’t slip at all, but also so confused because I was getting over the fact that he didn’t slip and now he asked me another question?
Anyway, once getting back home, we ordered a ring (he proposed with a sub-in) and it came in just in time for holiday photos! So although they’re holiday photos, they’re also engagement announcement photos? We have lovely friends who are hobbyist photographers who stepped in to take them for us on such short notice, and although I was insanely indecisive about a location, we decided to take them where it all began: Chapel Hill.
We started at Carolina Inn because we knew it’d make such a pretty backdrop. Initially we opted for the right side of the hotel where they used to have a type of pampas grass growing, but soon found out they trimmed them all so we couldn’t get the look we wanted. Luckily the lawn area had a gorgeous wall of flowers, in bloom, with a path and we couldn’t not!
From there we headed out towards the Old Well, but got distracted by a fruiting tree and decided to take a few shots there. Foxy joined in on the fun and had some off-leash time and was so well-behaved. She did start getting a bit antsy, though, and wanted to explore other, newer areas so back on the leash she went and to the Old Well we went.
The Old Well is an iconic location and we were lucky to get in a good 2-3 minutes alone before another group came in. I had an idea for a Beattles-like shot where we just run past the Well instead of using it as a stage and I love the way it turned out! I was hoping for a bit more time so we could run around a bit more and do some other angles, but it wasn’t meant to be, and that’s okay. Instead, we opted for the benches on the other side of the Old Well bushes and took some ring shots. The hedges were a foot or two shorter back when we attended UNC in undergrad, so seeing them so much taller and really enveloping the bench was really cool!
We headed out to the Graham Memorial terrace to shoot with more greys. I love the combination of the banisters and tiled floors. The lanterns add a neat touch as well. We considered doing a reception here but the guest count is a bit lower than we’d like and because of the university, the alcohol policy makes it difficult to sort out. Regardless, we’re more than thrilled to use it as a backdrop!
Our last stop was the Clocktower, with the aquamarine tiled cathedral arches and lanterns in the hall. We really made great timing with the sun rays and no one was around so we didn’t have to worry about any background distractions. This was one of my favorite shooting locations and ended the shoot nicely.
I’ve been away and fully immersed in wedding planning. We’ve got most of everything done, but man oh man, I understand why it’s so stressful for a lot of people! I plan on doing a few things myself, like centerpieces, signage, and my own makeup! I hope to document my wedding makeup looks and am looking forward to sharing with you all!
