Promenade Park Engagement Session

I’m so excited to share this Promenade Park engagement session with you!    This was my first day back to photographing after the quarantine and Alex and Geoff made it such a wonderful session!  If you think you’ve seen them before on the blog, you’re right!  They scheduled a Valentine Day engagement session, but it was so cold! (well below freezing) .  The cold made it too cold to have my equipment outside for an extended period of time without risk of malfunction.  I suggested a short engagement session if they wanted to brave the cold, and  a full session once it was warmer. They loved the idea!  We had tons of fun on their short, snowy engagement session.  Less than a month later, I would be thankful we were able to complete this session in a whole new way.

A change in plans

We scheduled their full spring engagement session, and then COVID-19 hit.  Their college is in Ohio and they were sent home with little notice, quickly turning their world upside down.   Soon Indiana made similar decisions and I stopped in-person session, canceling their engagement session.  Like college students everywhere, during the quarantine they completed  their courses with the challenges of  e-learning.  If you know any student, college or not, you know what a difficult task unexpected full-time e-learning is.  Thank you to all teachers/professors every where for all the work you have put in to make this possible for your students!!!

 

Moving Forward

Finally Indiana eased the stay-at-home restrictions!  I could start working again, actually shooting sessions instead of just working on the marketing end of my business. 🙂  As I began the process of easing back into session,  Alex and Geoff were the first ones I contacted.  Their wedding was a month away so we needed to get their engagement session completed! Honestly, I was excited and nervous to begin shooting again.  I hadn’t been out in public other than for true essentials since the beginning of March!  Alex and Geoff were the perfect couple to jump back in to things with!  They are so sweet and so fabulous!  I couldn’t have asked for a better first session!  A huge thank you Alex & Geoff just for being your awesome selves!!!

 

Life as a Graduate during COVID-19

As we walked around Promenade Park they shared a bit about what their lives have looked like.  They were thankful they were able to  wrap-up their college careers and still graduate.  When I saw them in February Alex was working on her nursing clinicals (not the exact term her university uses).   I had wondered if she had been able to complete all her required hours and exactly what that had looked like, since she had been working at a hospital in Ohio.  Thankfully, she was able to complete those requirements before being sent home.  She shared, that Ohio let her classmates continue in their nursing clinicals since they would be employees of those hospitals in a few months anyway.

Geoff had been working on his mechanical engineering internship remotely with a company in his home community, and was able to continue when their campus closed.  As college graduates, Alex and Geoff of course are looking to start working in their respective fields.  Nurses are in high demand right now, but the engineering field isn’t hiring as readily….

 

The Wedding Plans

A month away from their wedding and Alex and Geoff still can’t be sure what their wedding will look like under the circumstances.  They shared they are waiting to see what happens with Indiana’s guidelines.  They are expected to lift more before their wedding, but as we all know, everything is so uncertain these days.  So they are hoping and praying for the best.  My heart broke for them as they talked about how not all the groomsmen will be able to attend the wedding.  Some live far away and won’t be able to return as planned by early June.  Geoff talked about how as they all scrambled to leave campus many weren’t able to say good-bye to all their friends.  Geoff made sure to say good-bye to one of his groomsmen who lives in California, before they both left campus.  He’s very thankful he did,  because now he isn’t sure when he’ll get to see him again.  That made me so sad for them!  Not wanting to cry at the end of a session, and being a fixer-of-all things…  I suggested a 1 year anniversary road trip to California! 🙂  Alex is adorable and fully embraced the idea!

 

Spring blooms

We also took some pictures during the session.   We explored Promenade Park and had fun capturing images on the Wells Street Bridge.  Then we went over to Headwaters Park to capture the gorgeous tulips and spring blooms there. 🙂  So as you enjoy a sneak peak from their session, you could say a prayer for them that they have peace moving forward.  Honestly, I think everyone needs some extra prayers right now!

 

 

At the end of the session Alex requested this picture.  Aren’t they so cute!

 

 

Recently engaged?  Check out wedding planning tips here:  Top 5 Things to do When you Get Engaged   and  The Next Steps: What to do After You Get Engaged

To learn more about the Simply Seeking Photography wedding experience click here:  The Wedding Experience 

 

For more information on Fort Wayne’s newest park: Promenade Park Fort Wayne

blessings,

Julie