When we finally photographed Stevie and Shawn’s wedding this year, it had been almost three years since we initially chatted. I remember my call with Stevie back in February of 2020, oh the good old pre-pandemic days. When we first talked they were still pregnant with Canyon, they were planning to elope in Tennessee and Stevie had yet to start her own photography business. Oh my, how things change. I have loved getting to know Stevie over these past few years. She and Shawn are such good people and we are grateful to call them not just clients but also friends! Sitting down to write this blog post totally has me feeling a little emotional as I think about the journey that happened in order to get to their wedding day. It was a ride for sure, all the way up to and on the day of. But I think the end result was worth it all!

Stevie and Shawn have a true modern romance that began on Instagram in 2019. They admit they aren't sure who, but one of them reacted to the other’s story. That led to some messages and eventually Shawn invited Stevie to meet him on Mt Washington in Pittsburgh. Stevie initially turned him down because she needed to mow her dad's grass that day, but when she broke the lawn mower she decided to step out of her comfort zone and agreed to meet up. She remembers seeing Shawn standing there in a motorcycle jacket, with cute messy hair. He was shy and she was nervous but they talked for awhile while they watched the sun set over the Pittsburgh skyline.

After this Stevie agreed to an official first date with Shawn at Bier’s Pub on the Northside of Pittsburgh. Being a nervous dater, she remembers trying to get out of this meet up as well but Shawn had taken a half day at work so she went along with it. Stevie is a Pittsburgh Park Ranger, so after sharing lunch together at the pub Shawn insisted on a “Ranger Tour”. So they spent the afternoon walking around Allegheny Commons Park.

Fast forward to December of 2019, and Stevie and Shawn were on a trip in North Carolina. They were visiting a Christmas tree farm and the plan was to take a few photos while there that they could use to announce that they were expecting! Shawn had another plan when he decided to ask Stevie to marry him. Baby announcement turned out to also be an engagement announcement!

Though the plan changed many times, Stevie was a true example of a bride that was set on having a wedding day that was fully what she wanted. During the planning process many things changed, including the state they were getting married in, the venue and lots of decor ideas. Ultimately her heart led her to having a wedding weekend at one of their favorite campgrounds located in West Virginia. The plan was to get ready in their camper, enjoy a long hike on one of their favorite trails and then get married on a rock point overlooking the lake followed by a celebration with friends and family at their campsite. But nature had other plans as their wedding weekend just happened to fall on the same weekend that hurricane Ian was making its way up the coast. Causing torrential downpouring for most of the eastern United States. Just as they had done many times before, the wedding plans were changing. Their weekend ended up looking a bit different than what Stevie and Shawn had in mind but between their hard work, and the help from us and their loved ones it ended up being perfect in its own way!

Due to the weather looking less than great for Saturday, we drove down Friday and met Stevie and Shawn in the early afternoon at the Endless Wall trailhead. With help from Stevie’s brother and sister-in-law we all made the 1-mile trek out to the overlook for the New River Gorge. When we got to this spot, Stevie found a secluded place and put her dress on amongst the trees. Barefoot, she then made her way over to Shawn to share their first look. Their backdrop was the New River Gorge, a view full of trees, mountains and the rushing water below.

We spent some time here while they exchanged their vows privately and enjoyed the scenic views. Stevie was set on getting one specific photograph though. She wanted to stand on the edge of the cliff and let her dress hang down. She even specifically chose the gown she did because of its light but super long train. My fear of heights would never let me do this but she was all about it so we went for it. We were all so grateful the rain held off long enough for us to get this shot! After this we made our way back to the campground. We knew the rain was quickly approaching and knew that once it arrived it wasn't going to stop anytime soon. So we quickly grabbed their picnic blanket, basket and antique lanterns and walked over to Serenity Point, the spot they had hoped to have their ceremony. We set everything up and as Stevie and Shawn were enjoying their light picnic we all started to notice there was a sunset beginning in the distance across the lake. We were loving it but as time went on this sunset turned into the deepest oranges I’ve ever seen, but only on one side of the lake. To our left the sky was a deep blue and we watched as the biggest rainbow formed. It was the most unique, beautiful sky, a once in a lifetime experience. None of us could get over how beautiful it was. We photographed them until the last bit of light was fading and the rain began to fall. It really felt like that was nature's way of giving these two outdoorsy people a beautiful gift before the storm.

The following morning the rain was still coming down and the new plan was for them to host their ceremony and reception in a hotel nearby. After a morning spent decorating the space with all of the treasures Stevie had found for her reception, they both got ready for their ceremony. When Shawn first saw the space he admitted he couldn’t believe “all of the junk” Stevie had been collecting created such a beautiful wedding space. We all got a good laugh out of that. After their ceremony they enjoyed a BBQ catered dinner and lots of cookies. Keeping with the theme of the weekend when it came time to cut the cake, after the first cut, the cake somehow managed to fall backwards and landed on the floor. All everyone could do was laugh. It was the final piece in a long series of events to prove that even when plans don't go as we hoped, as long as you keep positive and laugh off what you can’t control everything will work out. Stevie and Shawn’s wedding weekend might have looked different than what they planned but it was truly beautiful in its own way!

We are beyond grateful we got to share these moments with them and their wedding weekend is one we will hold close to our hearts for a long time. Sending the biggest congrats to Stevie+Shawn, we love you!

| Vendor Love |
Venue | Mountain Lake Campground
Florals | Blooms By Bessie’s
Cookies+Cake | The Little Kitchen Cake & Custom Cookies
Videographer | Logan Eury
Wedding Rings | Manly Bands + Skelton Jewelry
Dress | Bridal Beginning / Martina Liana

Dreamy West Virginia Elopement | Stevie+Shawn