When thunderstorms move a downtown Harrisburg engagement session into a parking garage!!  Sometimes life throws you lemons, so you make lemonade :).  I  shifted gears and told them not to worry, I’ll handle it – just enjoy each other and their time together.

These two have an amazing story– they met as kids on separate trips to Massachusetts, became pen pals, and are tying the knot 30 years to the day of meeting!!

Why Rhinehart Photography?

Bobbie says, “Photography is really important to me.  I want amazing wedding photos that capture our emotions and all the real-life moments. I looked at a ton of photographers and after video chatting with Lisa, it was a done deal. She fit with us and relaxed us both, and on top of that knowing her amazing talent... she was the total package for me.”

Shawn adds, “I liked the vivid styling of the photographs and how Lisa’s vibe fits so well with us.  We felt comfortable with her.”

I totally vibed with Bobbie & Shawn during our video call! This is why meeting potential clients is so important to me. 🙂

Letter Writing as Kids

THIRTY years ago, Bobbie’s girl scout troop from Ohio and Shawn’s family from Pennsylvania were in Massachusetts at **the same time**. Talk about unlikely meetings! Bobbie & Shawn have an insanely romantic love story.

Bobbie shares, “I got lost on a hill during a girl scout trip and Shawn escorted me down to the main area of the campground. The next night, and every night after that, we both looked for each other.  It was years of letter writing, long-distance phone calls, a few visits, and some stolen kisses, while both of us were trying to figure out life and love.” 

She continues, “We kept weaving in and out of each others’ lives, each taking a path that seemed to lead them away from each other, and then fate would intervene and our paths would cross again for a fleeting moment.  That moment would pass and we would go our separate ways again.”

One Last Attempt…

Bobbie continues, “In December 2017 I had a medical scare and I knew if anything happened, I had to make one last attempt to restore my relationship with Shawn.  I sent him ‘Happy New Year!’ Shawn wasn’t sure if I meant to text him, or if it was just a mass text. 19 days later Shawn sent me a ‘Happy Birthday” text that rekindled our friendship.  That lit the fire.”

She smiles, “Things progressed, and on Christmas 2019, I moved 500 miles to be with Shawn.”

Shawn says, “In June 2020 amongst the covid craziness, I took Bobbie back to that campground in Massachusetts, during the trip to the beach at Martha’s Vineyard, got down on one knee, and told her there was no one else I wanted to spend forever with. She said yes.”

Traditional Photography, too!

While I’m known for creative shots, I always make sure to capture a few traditional portraits in each session.  My goal is for timeless, flattering photos, and when I saw how the light hit Shawn’s eyes during their Harrisburg engagement session, I was so game!

Bringing Creativity in a Downpour

I’m 100% here for my couples.  I have their back no matter what.  Downpour?  No problem!  We’ll figure it out :).

Bobbie shares, “I fully trust and appreciate Lisa’s artistic vision.  I would have been really worried to have a parking garage engagement session normally, but Lisa really put my mind at ease.  Another bonus of the parking garage was the privacy of this engagement session, we had the space to ourselves and could be ourselves, it was great!”

I set out to find a way to deliver the artistic shots Bobbie loves in this unusual location!  Here I silhouetted them through the chainlink fence to give texture and played with the white balance to bring out the blues in that thunderstormy sky.  If you look closely, you can see that Bobbie is beaming!

Best Friends

Bobbie shares, “It was a long time ago, but the thing that drew me to Shawn was his accent! Our meeting was happenstance but that accent had me looking for any chance to talk to him.  He is my best friend, and he quiets my whirring mind and my soul. We fit together and we complete each other.”

Shawn says, “There’s not just one thing I love about Bobbie. She’s my best friend. Out of all the places in the world, there is no place I would rather be than beside her.”

The Green Dress

Bobbie says, “The original downtown Harrisburg engagement concept lead to the choice of more formal attire. The green of my dress is one of our wedding colors, and one of Shawn’s favorite colors. I gravitate towards greens and blues because of Shawn’s eyes and how those colors always look amazing on him.  My dress showed off my little sassy side with the fit and flair. Shawn is a laid-back guy and knew he would be most confident and comfortable in a vest than a full suit.”

Why a Harrisburg Engagement Session?

They share, “We were hoping for water shots at Harrisburg’s City Island giving a nod to our engagement at Martha’s Vineyard on the water, but mother nature forced our hand into having to come up with something else. On the day of the session, the weather forecast was not in our favor, so we moved it up trying to avoid the storms. This meant giving up our hopes of sunset and nighttime shots with the city in the background but, we all made it work.”

Bobbie says, “Strangely the garage we took photos in ended up fitting us. We really can be happy and have a nice time anywhere together.” 

No Ordinary Wednesday

Bobbie & Shawn are getting married this year on a Wednesday. They share, “It’s no ordinary Wednesday, it’s the 30th anniversary of the night that boy from Pennsylvania walked the girl from Ohio down the hill…and the day we start our forever.”

I’m so eagerly anticipating their wedding too, and so glad I’ll be by their side and bringing my creative eye.  Here I played with the patterns of the chain link to create frames and shadows.

Bobbie and Shawn.  Thank you for entrusting me with your memories and having such positive attitudes that were able to see the plus side of a parking garage engagement.  You two are so sweet together and I’m looking forward to your upcoming Gettysburg Hotel Wedding.

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