From Tammy: I had so much fun photographing Amy & Evan for their engagement session. The location they chose, Wehle Farms in Scottsville, NY, was stunning with acres of grassy pastures and tree-lined walkways all bathed in sunlight. The couple (with dog and horse in tow) was such a pleasure to shoot. I love how these images capture the true spirit of Amy & Evan’s relationship – happy, playful, and FULL of love!
From Amy and Evan….
Evan asked me to marry him in July of 2012. Earlier that the summer, I had made an off-hand comment to my riding instructor and close friends, Carrie, that Evan is such bad liar there was no way he would be able to actually surprise me when he decided to propose. Little did I know, she took that information and made it her mission to be sure Evan managed to surprise me. She and Evan then proceeded to hatch a crazy, elaborate plan to ask me to marry him.
The plan was for Carrie to take me out on a trail ride and wind our way around to the spot where Evan would propose. They chose a lone tree way out in one of the fields (the farm is about 365 acres!) where Evan would wait for us. The morning of the proposal Evan went out to the farm super early to make sure he would be completely ready by the time we got there. I was supposed to meet Carrie for a morning ride but didn’t wake up until noon so poor Evan, who had taken the entire day off from work, ended up just sitting around for nearly four hours.
Carrie and I rode out on our normal route so I definitely wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary to happen. When we came around a bend and into the clearing, I saw someone sitting out under the tree with what looked like a suitcase. I have terrible eyesight and I had no idea it was Evan! I was convinced he was some sort of vagabond about to kidnap and murder both Carrie and me. Evan had to actually get up and come over to us before I realized it was him. I was so confused – I just kept repeating, over and over, ‘What are you doing here?!’
Evan brought me over to the tree where he had set up the most elaborate picnic I’ve ever seen. There was champagne and chocolate covered strawberries – it was beautiful. Then, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was definitely the easiest, ‘Yes,’ I’ve ever had to say. The ring was beyond amazing – he had had my grandmother’s stone reset – and even though I knew what it would look like, I was still stunned when I actually saw it for the first time. So, mission accomplished – Evan completely surprised me!
Carrie’s farm is gorgeous – just endless rolling fields – and we’ve shared so many memories there (some of the most important ones!) I always worried about how my love of horses would affect the relationships in my life – it’s such a huge commitment of time and money – but Evan is so supportive and invested in my riding. The sport has come to mean a lot to him as well – really, it’s a lifestyle – and Evan loves being a part of that world with me. Evan has always admired my passion for horses and he’s always in my corner. He is so incredibly patient and caring. I can’t begin to describe how phenomenal it is to have him in my life. We balance each other perfectly.
Being able to be photographed at my favorite place in the whole world was amazing. It was great practice for the wedding – we learned how to relax and just be ourselves in front of the camera – which was invaluable. We didn’t realize how well a photograph can show the love between two people. We look back at the pictures and see our relationship captured perfectly. The images show so many different sides of us – as individuals and as a couple. I love the series of photos where I am dressed all in white, barefoot and crazy-haired, with a tank that reads, ‘This one’s a keeper,’ and Evan is decked out like a GQ model. It’s the best reflection of our personalities and how perfectly we fit together.
I wouldn’t trade those images or the time we spent together having them taken for anything! We’re so thankful we did an engagement session. It gave us the best opportunity ever to just have some time together. It allowed us reconnect and have fun together, just being ourselves and enjoying each other, during the chaos of bringing our wedding together. That was one of the best things about the experience. The time we spent together and the memories we made – all at this incredibly special location – are definitely some of the best of our lives!
