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Hershey Wedding Engagement Photographers: Chelsea & Matt

A beautiful story that left me teary and a sweet, fun-loving couple…
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Chelsea and Matt were looking for a wedding photographer that would “wow” them and were having some trouble.  They asked their wedding planner, Lauren from the Gala Event, who she would recommend.  When they looked at my blog, they fell in love with the creative style of photography, use of vibrant colors and architectural photography that they saw.  They said they were able to feel the emotions of people in the photos.
When they met me in person they both agreed that my personality was a perfect fit for them.  They realized that they would have their wedding photographer by their side for most of their big day and wanted someone who they could enjoy and have fun with during the whole process.
While I love artistic, architectural photos, I also make sure to include a few standard portraits as well :).  Everyone meet Chelsea & Matt:
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They wanted to find a “summery” outdoor setting for their engagement photos that had modern architecture and natural, romantic settings as well and found the perfect fit for them on the campus of the Milton Hershey School.
I’ll start with a bit of modern architecture, as I love this next image!  All the clean architectural lines, their cool confident stances and the playful surprise of copper fish below.  It really fits their positive, upbeat natures so well!
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Matt shared that Chelsea is smart, thoughtful and encouraging.  He said his life will always be positive and hopeful simply because Chelsea is in it.
Chelsea shared that Matt puts his whole heart into everything that he does and that he makes her laugh when she is stressed, comforts her when she is sad and is incredibly supportive.
I think that their mutual trust and supportive natures can really be seen in this next photo…
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Matt said that they compliment each other so well and just mesh naturally.  Chelsea said that he challenges her to be the very best version of herself and makes her ordinary days wonderful.
Whenever he thinks of the future, he never pictures himself anymore but rather them as a team.  Chelsea said that with Matt by her side she feels like everything is possible.
For me, this photo has a surreal feeling, as if they are looking to the future and seeing blue skies and balance…
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Chelsea met Matt while she was working.  On the way to their first date, it took her so long to decide what to wear that Matt thought that she had stood him up!  He was walking out to his car when she saw him…
Fast forward only three dates later, and Chelsea realized that she had found the man that she would marry!  She kept this to herself, but eventually Matt realized that he shared the same deep feelings for her. 🙂
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A few months later, Chelsea’s mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  Chelsea came home after sitting with her mom all day at the hospital and found a note taped on the bathroom mirror.  It was from Matt.
It said that he wanted her to look into the mirror and see the beautiful, strong woman that he sees.  He wrote that he will always be by her side to support & comfort her and that they can get through anything together.
She came out of the room crying and found Matt waiting for her.  He told her that he loved her for the first time that night.   Now for their engagement story….
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A few years later, Matt pulled Chelsea aside on just an ordinary day in April.  Everything seemed to be normal until Matt started shaking and stuttering his words.
He told her that he wished that her mother could be there, but standing next to her urn was the best way to allow her to be part of the experience.  He asked Chelsea to marry him.
With tears in her eyes, Chelsea said yes and the rest is history.  I love the softness and intimacy of this next photograph…
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Chelsea and Matt had the unique opportunity of having their engagement session photographed after dark.  It allowed us some really unique opportunities to get creative after the sun went down!
Here Matt and Chelsea are silhouetted against a colorful sunset.  Chelsea shared that Matt is charming, thoughtful and a true gentleman.  I think those qualities can be seen in this photo:
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This next photo was taken following sunset.  Chelsea and Matt relaxed together on the bridge as I set up a second flash and triggered it manually using a radio signal from my camera.
Focusing was difficult as the scene looked completely black through the viewfinder of my camera, which was made more difficult when the bright light flashed behind them, haha.   I used a slow shutter speed and a tightly closed aperture to get the tree leaves in sharp focus and the vibrant blue of the evening sky.
“Seeing spots” was totally worth it as I love this next photo!   I know a canvas comes in your package guys, and I think this would be a perfect photograph to use for it!!!
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I love the intimacy of this final image.  It was challenging from a technical standpoint as it was now pitch black and impossible to see.  I needed to go on my instinct and knowledge base for this one.
I knew I wanted to back-light Chelsea’s sweet eye lashes and Matt’s thick hair.   I used a shallow depth of field and allowed the leaves in the background to blur into spheres of golden-green light.  I allowed the light to peek into the frame from the side, creating a bit of flare to add an emotional or spiritual feel.
In a way, it could almost be seen as a nod to Matt’s proposal and keeping Chelsea’s mom there in spirit…
best-hershey-wedding-photographers-11Chelsea and Matt, thank you so much for choosing to work with me and for opening up and sharing your beautiful love story with me.
I am so happy that you were wowed by my images and that other couple’s photos allowed you to feel the moments and hope that you are able to feel all of the emotion in your photos as well.
I had a blast working with the two of you during your engagement session and cannot wait for your wedding at the Gettysburg Hotel next year!

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