We may have only met in person moments before this session, but I feel like Lauren and I have been friends for.e.ver. No joke, on the way to meet her, I was trying to play our conversations back in my head to figure out how long ago it was when she first emailed me about her wedding. And then I felt sheepish because the answer is April—which is only seven months ago! So why the familiarity? Simply put—this girl is so genuine it’s darn near impossible NOT to love her the moment you connect!
I got off the phone after our initial consultation just KNOWING I wanted to work with her—and through her, her fiancé Richie. Seriously every email conversation with Lauren since then has brought an ear-to-ear smile to my face! She’s kind, gracious, and so grateful for all those little tips and bits of advice I love to offer my clients (I love putting my experience with weddings to good use to make the planning process easier for my brides!). She bubbles over with love for her guy and excitement for her big day.
Until recently, Lauren and Richie have been living in Colorado, where Lauren was working on her Master’s Degree and Richie was a Hotshot firefighter. They had met and dated at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, but when Lauren was ready to begin her graduate work in Colorado, they decided they’d take a break, knowing that a long distance relationship wasn’t ideal. In reality though, they made it four months before Richie went after her, uprooting his life in New Mexico to pursue the girl he loved. One year later, he was down on one knee in the middle of a bed of rose petals, asking her to always be his—while friends and family witnessed.
With the great distance between us, we knew getting an engagement session in would be a challenge, but I can’t express how grateful I am that we had the opportunity, just three weeks before the wedding! Getting couples in front of my camera prior to their wedding is THAT important to me that I include it as a complimentary service with a booked package—this is how we get to know each other in real life, I get to see how you interact with and show love to each other, and I can get you comfortable with my method and system of shooting so that on the big day, you can roll through portrait time like seasoned pros.
And Lauren and Richie…they are now seasoned. pros. 🙂
We started our session off at The Custom House in Deming, NM. This just happened to be where Lauren’s bridal shower was being held prior to our session, and it made the perfect backdrop for the first half of their engagement session! Looking at the pictures, I wouldn’t guess this is New Mexico—I think the Custom House has 90% of the greenery in our little town, right in it’s back yard!
I’d start getting a shot set up and tell Lauren and Richie to just chill for a minute while I locked in my settings…and then they’d get all cute and adorable with each other, making each other crack up. So naturally, I had a lot of material to shoot!
After we finished up there, and as the light was really starting to soften, we made a wardrobe and location change—this time, heading out to the Mimbres River (which, incidentally, is completely dry), where we had access to probably the only pretty fall leaves in Deming! It was gorgeous, and with sweaters and boots, these two were ready to get cozy. Again, with the crackups, and again with the cuteness—at one point, I just slid myself behind a bush and fired off shot after shot, capturing their candid sweet interactions and laughter. There’s no denying that Lauren and Richie adore each other!
Hey you two—I can’t wait to see you again in just a few days!! Thanks so much for being such amazing genuine people, for your faith and trust, and for allowing me the pleasure to be the one behind the lens to capture the beginning of your story.
XO,
Erin
Lauren’s hair was done by Lucy Montes in Deming!
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