Spring Engagements 2015

WOW!  We had an amazing Spring engagement season this year!  Lots of creative couples and fantastic weather is the perfect background for gorgeous imagery!

Camille & Rob chose downtown Harrisburg for their setting which we took full advantage of the remaining snow for a few fun creatives!SpringEngagement_021_MelissaMcClainPhotography

Kaitlyn & Brian also had some snow on the ground for their Founders Hall Garden session.  I love that they included their gorgeous pup, Koosh:)SpringEngagement_022_MelissaMcClainPhotography

Kate & Douglas rocked engagement style with their State Street engagement session.  Seriously one of the best groom engagement looks in our opinion!SpringEngagement_023_MelissaMcClainPhotography

Samantha & Michael.. OMG.  Just hands down one of my favorite fashion focused engagement sessions.  We had a perfect session at Hershey Hotel.SpringEngagement_024_MelissaMcClainPhotography.jpg

Courtnay & Nick chose to Troegs Brewery for their location which was fantastic both inside and out. The barren train tracks next door were a unique touch!SpringEngagement_025_MelissaMcClainPhotography

Taryn & Nick picked a perfect day and a perfect location to showcase their high school sweetheart love.  The Masonic Gardens in Elizabethtown is one of our favorite location recommendations! SpringEngagement_026_MelissaMcClainPhotography

Advertisement

Angela & John Engagement

Guest Written by Lead Photographer Whitney Hart:

Scott and I met up with Angela and John for a downtown Harrisburg, urban-meets-nature engagement shoot. Angela rocked some bright orange wedge shoes that were perfect for strolling with John in and around the side streets close to the Capitol complex. The fun loving couple enjoyed posing with the Waiting (aka “newspaper guy”) statue on Front Street and a garbage can spray painted with “believe”. The countdown is on to their September 6th wedding! See you both in 144 days!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Alexis and Jared Engagement

Alexis was one of our lucky bridal show giveaway winners from the Weddings In Style show held last year.  When she had contacted us about her ideas for their engagement session we had no doubt we were going to create some fantastic images off of her plans and inspiration!  Alexis and Jared chose to not only celebrate their engagement but their upcoming birthday celebration for their gorgeous Australian Shepherd, Oakley.  Even though we didn’t know much about these two at the beginning of their session, by the end we felt like we had known them for months!  Congratulations again on your engagement and we wish you the very best on your June 2015 wedding!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Jessica & Derek Engagement

Guest Written by Lead Photographer Christin Lopez:

Whitney and I met up with Jessica and Derek for an intimate moment in the Garlic Poet, the delicious restaurant attached to their wedding venue, the Clarion Hotel.  Right away we fell in love with Jessica’s bubbly personality and Derek’s relaxed nature which led to laughs and good times during their session.  After adventures at the hotel, we head to a small local park with a gorgeous creek, a perfect backdrop for the relaxed couple.  One of my favorite moments was through all the smiles and posing, the couple’s intimacy shone through.  Congratulations Jessica and Derek!  We can’t wait to see you both this summer!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

Eliza & Chris Engagement

With many of our couples residing outside of the central PA area, we rely on Skype or Facetime to get to know one another.  What’s great about these sessions is we usually get to meet our couple’s four legged friends too.  Eliza and Chris have two adorable pups, Peanut and Chewie, who were not shy about their video conference skills.  These two teachers share not only a love for their pups, but for the outdoors, family, and each other.

We met up at a local (and gorgeous) park near their home in Wilmington, DE for some late fall fun, including a few props to dress up the images a bit!  One of my favorites was a sign Eliza made featuring the pups saying “Our Humans are Getting Married!”.  We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect session with such amazing people!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Leah & Nick Engagement

We love couples who are super unique, have great personalities, and are passionate about one another.  Leah and Nick definitely fit the mold for awesome client material!  We met up with these two at Cunningham Falls Park in MD on a picture perfect weather day.  I loved the artsy style of these two and hey why not considering Leah is also a photographer.  We’re excited to meet up with these two in a few short weeks for their wedding at the gorgeous Cloisters Castle!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Bridget & Jonathan Engagement

When choosing a location for your engagement session, we always recommend to start with the type of background you enjoy.. urban?  Greenery? Rustic? Industrial?  Another choice is choosing a location that is special to you as a couple.  For Bridget and Jonathan, choosing a hiking trail they frequent regularly was the perfect choice for their session.  One of the best aspects of their chosen location was the gorgeous dam and old bridge structure.  Overall an awesome session with two great people!  Congratulations on your engagement and can’t wait to see you two in June of 2014!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

 

Dana & Robert’s Engagement

Written by Guest Blogger and Lead Photographer Extraordinaire Heather Casey

It is always fun to explore and find new places to have photo sessions at.  It is even better to find a place that is 1) gorgeous, 2) unique and 3) owned by a fantastic couple!  That pretty much sums up the Inn at Westwynd Farm in Hummelstown.  When Dana mentioned she would like to have her engagement session at a “rural” location, this B+B came to mind.  Luckily the one owner, Carolyn, welcomed us with enthusiasm.

Whitney and I met up with Dana and Bob and their adorable little pup, Cassie, on a perfect spring day.  Using the B+B and attached working horse farm as a backdrop, we captured some amazing images.  Dana and Bob are so laid back and were up for anything we threw at them (even walking through some questionable horse fields in flip flops!).  They genuinely have fun with each other and I can’t wait to see what is in store for their wedding day!!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Ellen & Robert’s Engagement

Jas and most of our friends will tell you that I’m most definitely not a morning person.  Not even coffee makes me want to crawl out of bed most mornings, however the one thing that does get me jazzed up is a.m. photography sessions.  The lighting is in most cases one of the best times during a day and a dynamic couple in love is the icing on the cake!  Ellen and her mother met up with us in January at one of the bridal shows we attended and just by talking, we knew she and Bert were an MMP couple!  Despite Bert living in VT and Ellen in PA, these two have a connection like no other and were so sweet together that beautiful, natural images were easy to capture.  Ellen also is passionate about her horse, Sonny, who is a 20 year old gorgeous animal who spends the large majority of his time helping out at Ivy Hill Therapeutic Equestrian Center which offers equine-assisted programs for children and adults with special needs.

The spring morning was gorgeous when we met at the Bucks County Horse Park, which we had to ourselves and quite a myriad of great shooting location with the grounds, jumps, and pond. Sonny was happy nibbling on the plentiful grass while Jas and I captured images of Ellen and Bert.  Setting up a shot on top of a small rise, nice blue sky and puffy, cotton candy clouds (my fave) in the background, Sonny decided he’d take a little gallop which pushed pause on the session for a few moments.  After a quick catch and tie to one of the jumps, resetting back in the pose, Sonny considered another jaunt, this time at full run, neighing as he ran across the fields as if to say “HAHA.. catch me if you can..”.  45 minutes later, Bert relocated Sonny who was being social with other horses from a nearby farm, trying to blend in but obviously on the wrong side of the fence.  Jas and I thought Sonny should have the middle name of Kooper (our insane, prone to going her own way, Jack Russel-Beagle mix).

Finishing up our session, Sonny back in the safety of his trailer, we headed out to Ringing Rock Park, named after a 7 acre area of boulders that when struck with a hammer or another rock, they sound as if they are metal and hollow and ring with a sound similar to a metal pipe being hit.  Overall we had an awesome morning and sessions like these are ones that go down in MMP history that we’ll never forget and always love to talk about:)  Congratulation Ellen and Bert!  We’re so excited to celebrate with you both in July!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

The Doctor and The Outdoorsman

I love client meetings in that we learn so much about our potential clients, how they met, what their hobbies are, interests, details, etc.  When meeting Sami and Dan I knew this would be one heck of a fun wedding and engagement session to shoot!  Sami is one determined and focused woman who is about to work on her residency in York.  Dan is the ultimate outdoors lover, having hiked the whole Appalachian trail and biked across the united states!  Together they are such a sweet and unique couple who have such vibrancy in their conversations and their focus on one another!  Shooting their engagement session at sunset was an absolute blast!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.