When we prep our couples for their engagement sessions, we challenge them to think hard about locations they might have access to that will make their engagement photoshoot special. Of course, we have a long list of vineyards and parks that we’re always ready to recommend, but we know it never hurts to ask our soon-to-be bride and groom if they have somewhere special that we otherwise wouldn’t know about. Well, Abi and Justin had suggested “a field near a friend’s house”, and after sending us a few sample pictures, Sarah and I were in.

But on this particular Wednesday evening as we hesitantly followed our GPS to their session, we started to get nervous. We hadn’t seen a field or even grass in miles. What we had found was a barely-maintained gravel road far off any labeled intersection with dense forest on either side — not exactly an ideal location for a photoshoot. Just as we considered calling Abi and Justin for directions… *cue gasps from Sarah and I* we suddenly emerged from the trees only to find a massive and beautiful lawn laid out before us. A great manor house loomed in the distance, surrounded by acres of precisely mowed fields adjacent to a hilltop wildflower meadow, all nestled up against a panoramic vista of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We should have known that these Earlysville natives wouldn’t have led us wrong!

Abi + Justin,

We are so incredibly grateful for our time spent together last week. The location you chose, the outfits you picked out, and even the fact that your furry friend Scout was there waiting for us when we arrived, showed Sarah and I how much you value capturing this particular stage of your life together. Although the wedding is only a few months away and you’ll be tempted to be so focused on the next thing, we hope these images will help you both slow down, and refocus on the purpose behind it all. And Justin I must say, man-to-man (Sarah and Abi, no peeking), you served your soon-to-be-wife incredibly last Wednesday. It’s no secret that most guys aren’t nearly as excited as their fiancés about a 90-minute engagement photoshoot, but that didn’t stop you from having a great attitude and being comfortable dancing with (and even occasionally smooching) your bride-to-be in front of our cameras. We can already tell by the way you loved her well that night that Abi is going to be in great hands with you! Keep loving each other well, and we’ll see you in October!

With love,
Hunter + Sarah

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