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Carly + Kyle’s Bear Mountain Engagement Photos

Waking up on Heather’s family farm, Honeymoon Acres, feels like being part of a child’s storybook. One of the potbelly pigs, either Johnny Walker Tito Cash (yes that is his full name) or Rose grunts to be let outside or serve them breakfast. The silkie chicken that is trying to become a rooster attempts to crow but sounds like the cracking voice of a teenage boy going through puberty. Billy, the arthritic goat, walks through the backyard on her knees because her hooves ache too much. Then I release the dogs: Riddle, Rumor, Bertie, and Ms. Jean to do their business and run around the yard like a pack of wild hyenas. The donkey, Brownie, and pony, Amber, neigh from the barn as I take my first sip of coffee. It’s kind of like Old Macdonalds Farm meets a Tim Burton movie--a motley, quirky crew of animals and family and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Heather and I were in the neighborhood to do Carly and Kyle’s engagement photos at Bear Mountain State Park. I surprisingly had never been to the mountain before and was completely blown away by the panoramic views of the orange, red, and yellow leaves. It was like we still lived in Colorado but the Aspen Trees were swapped out for Maples and Oaks. I’m glad that despite being spoiled for two years in the Rockies that my home back east could still evoke that feeling of smallness; where all you want to do is take a deep breath and exhale above the treetops.

Carly and Kyle live and met in Stamford, Connecticut, and trekked over to Bear Mountain to get some peak foliage engagement photos. They couldn’t have timed it any better and Heather and I were immediately jealous just looking at the raw images in the back of the camera. We started down at Hessian Lake near the lodge for their first casual outfit, then finished at the top next to Perkins Memorial Tower for their more chic look. The top of the mountain was a little crowded with tourists but Carly and Kyle rolled through their paparazzi moment with laughter and smiles.

And that’s why we say having an engagement session is so important! It’s not just to grab some photos for save the dates and invitations--it’s to get in front of our cameras and start to feel comfortable. We know from experience that (almost) no one feels comfortable in front of a camera; ourselves included! You should see my camera reel with all of the photos of Heather hiding her face behind a mask, our baby, or any inanimate object she can get her hands on. It doesn’t feel natural to be the center of attention but that’s exactly what we are on our wedding day. So book an engagement session, peek at our style guide, show up, and we’ll do the rest.

As we drove back down the switchbacks of Bear Mountain we kept fawning over Carly and Kyle and the views. This wedding season has been one for the ages and if Carly and Kyle are any indication, 2023 (!!) is already beginning to take on a beautiful shape.