A waterfall, swinging competition & angelic sparkler art…
Erica and Tony chose Caledonia State Park in Fayetteville, PA because it had everything they were looking for… a waterfall, hiking trails, even swings ;). They have always enjoyed the outdoors, for Tony it’s a place where he can be athletic, explore and push his own physical limits– for Erica it’s a place where she can relax, clear her mind and take in the peaceful atmosphere. This first image was taken at the foot of the waterfall and you can almost feel that peaceful atmosphere that Erica was talking about.
Erica and Tony have a deep-rooted trust. Tony is extremely strong and supportive. Erica has been in nursing school full time for the last three years while they have been dating, so Tony has stepped up and helped out in every way that he can. He works extremely long hours to provide for Erica and her son and has helped her to raise her child as if he was his own. Erica calls Tony her rock, and it is clear that he feels the same about her as well. These two have something really special, so I asked Erica what their secret is…. she says it’s respect. They are careful to support each other wholeheartedly and never tear each other down, they only talk to each other in ways they would want to be talked to. It sounds simple, but has worked well for them.
Erica & Tony are also best-friends and super competitive– they are constantly making bets with each other about anything and everything. On the swings they were trying to see who could jump the furthest, and took the challenge pretty seriously haha. They would say, “One, two, three, go!” What was funny was that Erica would jump on “three” and Tony would jump on “go.” Erica would win every time :).
They shared that they love how they balance each other out. Tony is adventurous and can sometimes feel invincible, while Erica can tend to over analyse things. Tony challenges her to break away from those fears and try new things and enjoy life. In turn, Erica talks Tony out of things that are absolutely a horrible idea, haha. I like this photo because it shows Tony out father in the water helping her to get to the same place, which is symbolic for them :).
Tony & Erica are also very creative individuals, so along with having photos that capture their personalities and relationship, they wanted their pictures to be very different and have that “wow” factor. They brought sparklers along and had seen other photos where people draw a heart around themselves etc. We started with some experimentation, which actually looked pretty cool & had me seeing double haha…
Then we started getting really creative and capturing elements of their personalities and relationship in the sparkler art. Tony is super strong physically and emotionally. He works hard and has been able to surpass obstacles in life that few people overcome. The first image showcases his strength and the second one show’s Erica as his angel.
Tony focused on the task of creating wings for Erica with 100% of his energy and creativity and blew me away! Erica shared that Tony tells her how beautiful she is everyday that he really lifts her up and encourages her in any way that he can. She said that people can see Tony as size and tattoos and be afraid of him, but that she knows him to be kind, loving and supportive, and in short the man of her dreams. 😉
Erica and Tony, thanks for opening up and giving me the opportunity to know you and work with you. You have built an awesome relationship and I am excited to share your wedding day with you as you exchange vows and officially become one family!
