Princeton University Engagement Photos
Apollo Fields | NJ Wedding Photographer | Princeton Wedding Photography | Princeton Engagement Photos | New Jersey Wedding Photographers
Jessica & Angelo
Every time I walk on an Ivy League university’s campus--I feel smarter. I think of the philosophy books I read during undergrad and I hear snippets of passages as little soundbytes in my head. The “collegiate gothic” architectural style of many prestigious institutions may have questionable origins, but if it doesn’t make you hear the voices of old white aristocrats then it probably conjures up the gruffly-spoken line: “You’re a wizard, Harry.” So when we met up with Jess and Angelo to take their engagement photos at Princeton University, it was no surprise that our conversation was filled with a beautiful mix of history and Hogwarts, of reminiscing and laughter.
Jess and Angelo told us a funny story about how both of their families would go to the same Christmas party when they were kids. One year Jess remembers playing with one of Angelo’s siblings but doesn’t remember Angelo being there at all. Angelo couldn’t recollect anything about where he was. We love hearing stories like these because it places our couples in a totally different context and time of their lives. Photographing Jess and Angelo’s engagement session was like we skipped to the middle of the book; but as we walked and talked it was like thumbing through their relationship’s first pages.
We got to talking about the plans for their wedding and how important it is for them to have a customizable space so they can really express who they are. We can’t emphasize enough how much we love to hear when our couples take the extra effort to curate an event that celebrates their relationship rather than what is easy (what about planning a wedding is easy?!) For us--it’s less about the minutiae and more about the moment. Embrace your wedding day because it’s truly one of the only days in your life when you can do whatever the hell you want!
Many call it the best day of our lives but we don’t believe that. We believe that our days and our stories carry us through many peaks and valleys and that our paths aren’t as linear as a mountain range at a distance. We prefer to see the days of our lives on the trail in the trees whose path eventually opens up to a big sky above the treeline. We prefer to get a little mud on our shoes, take a deep breath, and crack a beer when we reach the top. Your wedding day is but one peak of the whole mountain range.
We’re so lucky to be able to document the natural beauty of the stories that unfold before us. We get to be part of every one of our couple’s history, even if most of it is from behind the lens. Our jobs have taken us to mountains and oceans, inside mansions and cabins, and on strolls through “collegiate gothic” campuses. May we derive as much power from the jagged spires as we do from the spellbooks, for inside everyone of our minds and hearts are the magic things that make us us.
