Clancy + Shannon | The National Aviary Engagement | Pittsburgh, PA

I met Clancy and Shannon outside the National Aviary on a frigid day in February for their engagement session. It was one of those sessions where conversation flowed naturally and the laughs came easy, and I could see that laughter was key their relationship. Laughter, admiration, total devotion.

They met the first day of college move-in. Shannon's and a friend were walking down the hall saying "hi" to everyone and Clancy was there with all his roommates. They started talking and hit it off, sparking a strong friendship before they became a couple in junior year. At that point, Clancy knew that he would ask Shannon to marry him.

"I helping her parents dig out a sceptic ditch when I said, 'Hey, I'd like to marry your daughter.'" Clancy and Shannon both laughed.

They've been engaged for a few years, their original 2020 wedding plans postponed because of covid. But finally, they'll be getting married this month. They're excited to party it up and have everyone together who haven't been together since college.

When they aren't working, the two of them like being outdoors hiking or playing games. One their favorite board games is Paladins. They dream of backpacking through Ireland some day, and looking longterm, they hope to move out of the city and get house full of cats and dogs. They just got a kitten that they want to take on their travels. They are also looking to advance in their careers, Shannon as a teacher and Clancy as a bug doctor.

"To study bugs and not perform surgeries on beetles," Clancy clarifies with a chuckle.

Shannon laughs. "I always call him a bug doctor."

With the laughter and conversation to keep us distracted from the cold, we walked around the grounds of the National Aviary and the park getting pictures as the sun started it's slow descent. The lighting was absolutely golden and Clancy and Shannon a joy to work with. I'm excited to celebrate with them at their upcoming wedding. Not much longer!