Kevin + Tyler | Point State Park Pittsburgh Engagement
I bring you another beautiful engagement session, this time with couple Tyler and Kevin. I first met them at--well actually, this was another situation in which Rich met the client first. When we do wedding expos, it can get pretty busy and we usually end up talking to different groups of people at the same time. In this case, Tyler was talking to Rich while I was assisting another couple. A few weeks later, Tyler and Kevin met with me at Starbucks and we had a great time chatting in a much more relaxed setting.
Right around the beginning of March I started sending out emails to get engagement sessions scheduled. Tyler was one of the first to respond and I got her and Kevin in the books, and then...well, you know the rest. So in June we were able to get together for their engagement session at Point State Park in Pittsburgh. This is always a nice location to shoot at, because you can go from full Pittsburgh scenery to natural park with just a change of perspective. Since Pittsburgh was under new curfew restrictions, we met an hour earlier than I typically prefer and started in the shaded areas of the park. There was some glorious light shining through the trees and it made for some dreamy pictures. From there we changed perspective to get those quintessential Pittsburgh shots as the sun was starting to lower giving that nice golden light.
Tyler and Kevin met at Haunted Hill View Manor on a ghost tour, set up by their mutual friends. They aren't really Halloween buffs, but their friend who is had been asking them every year to go, but they never did until that fateful night when they met each other. After that ghost tour, Kevin texted Tyler and they went out on a date the next week. Tyler admitted that the first date was a little rough, but there were sparks so they continued seeing each other.
When Kevin started planning to propose to Tyler, he arranged a photo shoot with his sister who agreed to pass the shoot off as her idea to help build her portfolio. The plan was to originally go up to Shenley Park to view the skyline, but they drove around and couldn't find the spot. They ended up on a frisbee golf course where the skyline was visible. As in typical photographer fashion, Kevin's sister told Tyler to just stand there for a minute so she could make sure the lighting was good and get her settings right, all the while motioning for Kevin (who was standing behind Tyler) to get down on one knee. Then she told Tyler to turned around and face Kevin and he was holding out the ring to her. They laughed about how different the proposal was from what each of them had expected. Kevin said he would have been fine with proposing at home on the couch and Tyler said she'd dreamed of a dolphin bringing the ring to her on its nose. The actual proposal ended up being perfectly sweet and they're happy that they have pictures to look back on it.
Being newley engaged within a year, we talked a little bit about what things that make a happy healthy relationship. They talked about the importance of being able to keep their own separate interests and doing things on their own, while remaining united on the more important details of life.
"I'll say, 'hey I'm going to hang out with so-and-so,'" Tyler said. "As long as we don't have anything else planned that day, it's no big deal. It's important to have that individuality."
Kevin added, "We've seen couples who are never separate and things end badly when either of them try to do their own thing. It never goes well."
It was such a wise statement. Marriage is the unity of two individuals, not the end of individuality. Compromise, communication, honesty, these things all help to keep the relationship strong and being able to do things individually helps to keep both people in a relationship happy while building trust. Tyler loves to see movies and have girls night, while Kevin likes to play sports. Together, they enjoy playing tennis, eating out at restaurants, and seeing movies at the drive-in, all of which are things they are really looking forward to doing again once covid-19 is no longer a major concern.
Planning a wedding in the middle of a global pandemic has proven to be challenging...nearly impossible with everything being shut down for the last 3 plus months. Tyler and Kevin have had to come up with a backup date in 2021 just in case. They mentioned that any food testing with the venue has to be done take-out style, they haven't been able to order in any florals, and the engagement session even got postponed around 5 times. We were excited that it was finally able to happen, now we're all crossing our fingers that the wedding will take place on the original date.
Planning for the future is always a tricky thing, especially now when it seems almost impossible to plan for next month, but it doesn't stop Tyler and Kevin from dreaming. They said that, ideally, in ten years they would have their student loans paid off, at least one kid, and be looking at either buying their dream house or a boat.
We had a wonderful time and were even able to get out of Pittsburgh before curfew. I can't wait to see what they accomplish in the next few months for their wedding day.
Cyn Davis Photography is Cynthia and Rich, a crazy-in-love husband and wife wedding photography duo based in Steubenvill, OH and providing services to Pittsburgh’s surrounding area. We are currently booking 2021 weddings. Interested in working with us? Contact us now to schedule your free consultation.
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