From the Photographers

Jesica and Pete's engagement session at Beltzville Park was a memorable experience. The park was ideal for their photoshoot, with its beautiful natural scenery, & iconic covered bridge. We were excited to capture the love and affection between them.


The day of the shoot was a bit windy, with some clouds, but it added a touch of romance to the atmosphere. Jesica and Pete were thrilled to be getting their pictures taken, and their excitement was palpable. They looked stunning in their matching outfits, and we knew right away that we would get some fantastic shots.


We started by taking candid shots of the couple walking hand in hand along the lakeshore. The natural light was perfect, and the colors of the lake and the sky were simply breathtaking. Jesica and Pete were very comfortable in front of the camera, and we were able to capture some truly magical moments of them sharing loving glances and sweet embraces.


As we moved to different spots in the park, we continued to capture the essence of their love and chemistry. We were able to get some stunning photos of them surrounded by the natural landscape, as well as some playful shots of them sitting in the grass!


Overall, it was an incredible experience to photograph Jesica and Pete's engagement session at Beltzville Park. The natural beauty of the location, combined with the couple's love and affection, made for a magical photoshoot. We feel honored to have been a part of their journey and to have captured these precious moments for them to cherish for years to come.

How they Met

Pete and I had a mutual friend who went to law school with him. She had reached out to me inquiring if I'd be his "date" to Barristers Ball. Now I use "date" real loosely here. We had never spoken before and I wasn't in a place to be looking for a relationship. At this point, I was straight up and exhausted mom just looking for a night out. She promised it would be fun, he'd dance a lot, and I would be able to get dressed up. Of course, she failed to mention until I committed, that I had two days to find a dress because the event is that weekend. 


Honestly, it ended up being the weirdest - yet fun night - one could have with someone they didn't know. Looking back, we laugh now about the pictures of us from the event. His hand is slightly hovering on my back in the most "friend-like" uncomfortably awkward way. 


Months later Pete - who may or may not had a few drinks for encouragement - "slid in my DMs" as my kids would say and boom! A gracefully matched arrangement.  

The Proposal

One evening, while out with her friends, Jess took it upon herself to inform all those present, that she wanted to get married and after 7 years it was about time I did something about that. The following morning, a sleepy sheepish Jess told me of her wild proclamations and I accepted that what had lingered in my mind for too long must come to pass. Since she had let the cat out of the bag and gave it a megaphone, my only desire was to make it a surprise, which is quite the feat. The best way to do this would involve sleep deprivation, unfamiliar surroundings, and lack of coffee - she does not function without coffee. The perfect opportunity arose on a weekend trip to the shore with my family. Trying to sleep on a mattress seemingly made of nothing but wires, both Jess and I were kept up all night by our nervous dog, who would not stop pacing, and my merciless scratching from poison ivy which covered most of my body. Just before sunrise, in an effort to calm down the dog, I snuck her onto the deck with the promise of coffee to come. -- Here's the catch: decaf coffee is always made first when traveling with my family. "Real Coffee," as Jess calls it, had not yet been prepared -- As she stared out blearily towards the sea. I dropped to a knee, nervously fumbling with a $25 placeholder ring from Walmart, and told her to turn around. "Jessica Waite, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife..." With a smile and tears in her exhausted red eyes, she replied with those words every man in my position longs to hear...."But it's not even real coffee time..." There was a yes tossed in later to make it official, but it was somewhere in the midst of laughing and neither can quite recall the specifics.  


Oh so romantic, right? 


Later that day, the placeholder ring was superseded by stones selected from a small family collection. It's a beaut! And somewhere hidden in a hot closet was the champagne we never opened! 

Best Part of being Engaged

The engagement hasn't changed our lives. We had already lived together, raising two children, before choosing to embark on the ship to merriment. So maybe here we air out the dirty laundry. Engagement is beautiful, and planning a life together is beautiful, but planning a wedding is stressful! And with that shines a light on how you comprise together to work out the crap that ultimately does not make or break the love you have for one another. 

Advice from the Couple

Flat out: Do what you want to do. It's your wedding. Feeling pushed in a direction because "you're supposed to" or "it's traditional" does not have to be for you if you don't want to. Your wedding should celebrate the life you've chosen to have with one another without all the chaos and stress that often comes with the planning part. Also, remember that it is ok if where you start in our planning and finish are different. You may change your mind. 


We've intentionally planned our wedding from the perception of the guest. All the things we dislike about weddings got to the boot! Believe us when we say people immediately respond with pushback when you say that to them. But once we explained our reasoning, they understood and suddenly wanted to discuss other weddings where there were things they could do without. Our vision was to keep it personal and memorable for our guests. We're having a big ole party with exchanging our vows right there in the middle.  

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