This chic, vibrant, romantic Ashcombe Mansion Engagement with Marissa-Anne & Anthony was so much fun! There was a clawfoot tub, champagne and an incredible sunset…
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Marissa excitedly shares, “When my future sister-in-law Donna showed me the iconic photograph of her sitting on a bar, surrounded by her entire bridal party, throwing back an extra large bottle of Grey Goose I laughed and said I NEED this woman to photograph our big day!”
Anthony adds, “Aside from the amazing photographs, I remembered very clearly how you could command a room when you photographed both of my sister’s weddings. I knew it was a quality we NEEDED in a wedding photographer.”
Marissa continues, “Your style is raw and authentic, and it shines through your work. You aren’t afraid to ‘color outside of the lines’ so to speak. After our engagement session, I knew for certain that the same style will translate so well into our wedding photos.”
You Give Me Goosebumps!
Marissa giggles, “Your reaction to my ring was one of my favorites to date. Anthony designed it himself with the help of my favorite jeweler in New York City, Ken and Dana Designs. Of course, I provided him with subtle, (or maybe not so subtle haha), hints about what elements I would like in an engagement ring, but he took it from there.”
She continues, “3.25-carat marquis diamond with a hidden halo, a custom band, and even engraved leaf prongs holding the diamond in place. When he opened the box up the day he proposed I thought I was going to hyperventilate- talk about goosebumps!!”
Anthony smiles, “The week before I was going to propose to Marissa, Ken and Dana actually posted a photograph of her ring to their Instagram story. Marissa incessantly stalked that page, and she did wind up seeing it and screenshot it and ironically sent it to me for inspiration!”
He laughs, “She entirely wasn’t expecting that she was getting engaged yet, so much so that she was actually angrily stomping around that day shouting ‘some other woman in the city has my ring!’ It was so funny and so hard to keep a straight face and not tell her ‘hey! that ring is yours!’ It was all worth it for her reaction that weekend.”
Meet Marissa & Anthony
Marissa & Anthony’s story began when they were just teens and he was the cute son of her boss, haha!
Marissa smiles, “Fate is such a funny thing. Had anybody told me 15 years ago I’d be marrying the cute guy who brought me my paychecks at my summer job I would’ve laughed and rolled my eyes. While our lives went down two completely different paths since we met as teenagers, I really do believe we found our way back to each other in divine timing.”
Anthony adds, “Marissa and I always had a thing for one another growing up, but I think we needed to go out into the world and experience certain things in life to shape us into the people we are today, so we would be ready to spend forever together. We appreciate one another so much more for it, and I think that’s part of why our relationship is so strong. Nobody’s perfect, but we are perfect for each other.”
She continues, “He keeps me grounded, he is my voice of reason, and he always has a way of seeing the glass half full– a quality that most people do not possess. I read a quote once that explained the person you’re meant to spend forever with isn’t always the person who gives you ‘butterflies’, but the one who brings you peace. Anthony gives me both, and it’s truly a beautiful thing”
He shares, “Behind every high-strung woman with a large personality is the calm, cool, and collected other half who doesn’t understand why we need so many throw pillows or have to make the bed every morning but obliges because it keeps the other person happy and sane. That’s us in a nutshell. It just works.”
Why an Ashcombe Mansion Engagement?
Marissa shares, “My favorite novel of all time is the Great Gatsby, I admittedly own about 7 copies of it. That is the best way I can describe the vibe I was looking for in a venue for our engagement photos. I wanted a place that was timeless, chic, and romantic. I wanted a place that told a story.”
She continues, “Everything from the marble flooring to the glass chandeliers, to the stained glass scattered throughout the mansion– every single detail was thought of when they restored this place, and it truly felt like the walls told a story. It looked original to the era it was built in and it felt authentic. The Willows at Ashcombe Mansion perfectly captured the aesthetic and theme for our Ashcombe Mansion engagement shoot, and it set the stage for what our guests can expect on our big day!”
Anthony laughs, “When Marissa told me we were packing in the car to drive 3 hours to take engagement photos I was like ‘are you kidding me?!’ Then she showed me some snapshots of the mansion and I said yeah I think I see where you’re going with this let’s bring the vision to life. It was perfect.”
Champagne in the Clawfoot Tub!
Marissa laughs, “I’m a sucker for an antique claw foot tub and a good bottle of champagne. When you were explaining to us that we could get as creative as we wanted with input for photos and bring props, one of the things we wanted to incorporate was champagne!”
She shares, “As we toured the many rooms in the mansion it seemed so hard to choose which places we would photograph in because the whole place was absolutely stunning. But then we saw that bathtub and I thought what would be so fun to hop in this bad boy and crack open that bottle! I knew you’d take my idea and run with it just like you did with my favorite photo from Donna’s wedding!”
Chic, sexy, classic…
Marissa shares, “I wanted a moment to feel like Sarah Jessica Parker in “Sex and the City!” I chose white satin shoes with the bows to elevate the look. There aren’t many opportunities to wear a white dress, so when I get the chance I’ll take it!”
She adds, “I wanted a sort of “high fashion” black tie vibe for our style for the shoot. I got the idea of what dress I would wear after I had gone wedding dress shopping. There was a dress I tried on that was SO similar to what I selected for the shoot, and bang there was my inspiration. I also loved the contrast of the outfit with my red hair. As for Anthony, he always cleans up nice in a suit and tie and I knew a black suit would look perfect alongside my white dress.”
Ashcombe Mansion Engagement
I loved everything about this Ashcombe Mansion Engagement session! If you are a client or future client of mine and looking for a cool place to get photos, I’d highly recommend The Willows at Ashcombe Mansion!! I also recommend being true to yourself, embracing your personal style and having fun like these two did!
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