Yes, I have my wedding photos perfectly displayed…in a nice dark box in my closet. See, I have the pictures, I just didn’t know what to do with them so sadly, they have been neglected.

I’m here today to help you avoid making the same mistake as me- Black River Imaging has a modern and creative way to display your photos and share them with your friends and family. Black River Imaging actually fuses your image into metal. The result is a single print large enough for wall mounting or even small enough to use as an ornament. They also come in many shapes so you are not limited to just square or round. Check them out:

If you just got engaged and are planning your engagement session, wedding, or need thank you cards, consider this creative way to display and share your photos- no excuses!

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog!

Kelly

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So many engagements happen this time of year that even I have engagement fever! Why do I love the engagement session so much? Because it’s a truer, more natural reflection of you as a couple. Sure, you may go to a location you wouldn’t normally go to, but you choose your clothes, you choose the feel of the session, and you are simply more relaxed. The pressures of wedding day photos get to almost every bride and groom, no matter how comfortable they are in front of the camera, so think of the e-session as practice for the real deal.

Heather and John’s engagement session is really cool for a few reasons: they are naturally playful, they hit a few locales for their shoot and they incorporated elements that are unique to them. Enjoy!

I would say that this is one of my favorite photos from the session but I would be lying…I really love all the photos and can’t pick a fav!

I asked the couple about the books and here’s what they said: The books in the photos represent a running joke of our relationship.  John is working on his doctoral dissertation and his books follow us everywhere.  There are piles of them in every room of the house and scattered throughout the car. I feel like we have started a miniature library in our apartment.

GORGEOUS!!! The grounds of DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun are absolutely beautiful! It was a perfect location to capture the beautiful Tucson desert, mountain backdrop and general Old Pueblo atmosphere in our photos.

How did Heather and John meet? I will let them tell you all about it!

Heather’s Side of the Story: John and I met on the 4th of July on Mill Ave in Tempe (yes some people can still meet in bars!). I was visiting a friend in the “big city” for the holiday and she and I were having a gal pal bonding moment when he unexpectedly interrupted. His big pick up line of the evening was an unintentional drink order in my direction while next to me at the bar. Boys, if you want to pick up the ladies just yell “Can I get a Guinness?” mere inches from a gal’s face and you are in! After a brief moment of confusion, it wasn’t too long before we bonded over our love for the study of history, outdoor adventuring and world travel.

A first date was immediately planned for breakfast the next morning and things pretty much took off from there.

John’s Side of the Story: Heather got most of the details right, but I want to add that the drink order WAS intentional. The extra volume might have been a bit much, but I wanted to make sure that I got her attention as I had been looking for any opening to talk to her for awhile. In my defense, it was a very noisy bar. I was a bit nervous that Heather wouldn’t show up to breakfast, but she did and everything went splendidly from there.

We did long distance for the first two years of our relationship between Tucson and Phoenix and although it did have its difficulties, it was definitely worth it! I think I knew pretty quickly that he was the one because with only 3 months in, I had traded in my SUV for a more economical sedan. John cringes thinking about how many times during those few years that he had to take the Greyhound bus back and fourth at 5:30 in the morning before his class that day.

Heather and Amanda (of Amanda Rockafellow Photography) chose The Shelter while hanging out with friends there one day. Heather smartly realized that having a drink or two during the e-session would help loosen things up too. It also was a good fit for the session because, as Heather explains, “The retro and historical elements of the bar combined with John and my love for history made it a perfect location for the shoot. “

John is from Portland, Heather is from Tucson and while both adore their hometowns, the ultimate goal is to settle on the Pacific Northwest. I like how they pay homage to their history while looking to the future with these cute photos

If you can hang onto your photographer until the evening (bribing them with dinner and a refreshment probably helps), do it. You will get the pretty late afternoon light but can mix in some night life shots as well!

(All images courtesy of: Amanda Rockafellow Photography)

H/J: I think we can both agree that our favorite thing about each other is just how much we motivate each other to try new things, explore new places and live our lives to the fullest.  Without John’s encouragement, I would have never had the confidence to apply for my current position at the UA.  Also, before I met him, I would have also never thought I would have been able to complete a graduate degree (July 2012!). (John adds:) Heather helped reawaken my love for the outdoors and helps to counter my overly cynical nature.

Heather and John, thank you so very much for sharing this fun engagement session with us and congrats on the upcoming wedding!

Many thanks to photographer Amanda Rockafellow who shared her work with us!

Happy Planning from your Tucson Wedding Blog,

Kelly

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