I first got to know Martha and Ryan a little over two years ago. Martha reached out to me about photographing their wedding, and we talked via email for a few weeks. And then we met in person for the engagement session.
First Meeting, Engagement Session
I love doing engagement sessions at places that are meaningful to the couple. When I asked Martha if she had a location in mind, she didn't even think twice about it. "Yes, we love the campus at McDaniel College in Westminster. It is meaningful to Ryan and me and would be the perfect place for our engagement photos."
We had so much fun together that afternoon. Since I wasn't familiar with the campus, Ryan and Martha took the lead on where to go.
Second Meeting, Wedding Day
The following year, it was time for Ryan and Martha to pledge their love to each other in front of family and friends. On the day of the wedding, I made sure I arrived early so I could take photos of the groom as he arrived.
I knew from our engagement session that Ryan was head-over-heels in love with Martha. Seeing his excitement as he arrived at the venue was something I wanted to capture.
I remember asking him if he was nervous, and he told me, "no, just excited! I have waited a long time for this!"
Later, when Ryan read his vows to Martha, he told the story of how he was in love with her long before she felt the same for him. How he patiently waited and was happy to be her friend in hopes that she one day would feel the same way about him. Aww, I remember thinking, "now it makes sense. His dream is coming true today.
Until We Meet Again
Driving home after the wedding, I felt so happy to have been part of the day. All weddings are special, and I am honored to be part of every one of them. But some weddings have something extra special. A deeper sense of purpose? It is a mystery why on some wedding days I feel such deep gratitude for having been part of the celebration. And also some sadness that I will more than likely not see the couple again.
Fortunately, our paths were to cross again.
This summer, I received an email from Martha asking about my summer and wondering how busy I was. "Do you think you have some time for a photo shoot in the next two weeks?"
We Have a Surprise For You
Of course, the summer is the busiest time of the year for a wedding photographer. I wrote to her explaining that I was booked every Saturday for weddings. and booked engagement sessions every Sunday. "Do you think you could wait a few weeks?" thinking that the photo session was "just" a couple's session.
"Well, not really," Martha wrote back. "You see, I am pregnant, and the baby is due in 2 weeks. I know it is last minute, but so much has been happening that we didn't have time to schedule it any sooner. We want you to do it! We love working with you, and I am not sure I want to have my belly photographed by anyone else."
Change of Plans
"Let me see what I can do! Would you mind coming on my side of the Bay Bridge? If I can move my engagement session to the morning, we can meet in the evening, and being closer to home would help me out."
"Yes," Martha wrote back. "Just tell us where to meet you."
After checking with my other couple and getting the ok to move their session to the morning, I wrote back to Martha.
Third Meeting, Maternity Photos
"We are on! Le's meet an hour before sunset at Terrapin Park in Stevensville. The park has lovely pathways that lead to the Chesapeake Bay. We can take photos as we walk along, and then we can do a session on the beach. If we are fortunate, we will have a nice sunset with the bay bridge as a background."
With my morning session complete, I couldn't wait to see Martha and Ryan again. Martha is beautiful on her worst days! And I suspected that pregnancy was going to make her even more gorgeous!
When she got out of the car, I was speechless! Not only was she as beautiful as I remembered, but she was glowing. Her baby bump was as perfect as I have ever seen.
We hugged each other as friends and spent some time catching up. Then, as planned, we strolled down to the beach taking photos as we strolled down the path to the bay.
Terrapin Park Is One Of My Favorite Places
I love Terrapin park because it is an easy walk and offers plenty of opportunities to take photos.
As we walked and talked, I remembered how in love Ryan was on their wedding day. Watching him, looking at Martha, it was clear that he was even more in love with her than a year ago.
After about an hour I could tell that Martha was getting tired and we called it a "wrap."
Now, I can't wait to meet the beautiful baby boy and see what their future holds.
For photos of Ryan and Martha's wedding follow this link Martha and Ryan's Wedding Photos
Want to learn more about Terrapin Park click here:Â Terrapin Park