MATT+EMILY, YANKEE STADIUM, SURPRISE PROPOSAL and ENGAGEMENT SESSION

When we first received Matt’s inquiry through our website here on our contact form, we were at first in awe! We couldn’t believe that this opportunity was presenting itself. When we finished our consultation with Matt over the phone, we were then so overjoyed and excited, as it was very evident how much he loved Emily, his girlfriend, and how intentional he was about proposing marriage to her!

See, Matt was flying with Emily from Kentucky to New York, where one of their special visits was a private tour at Yankee Stadium. But this was a set up! Matt was in cahoots with the great team at Yankee Stadium, and when he hired us, we were to pose as the other winners of the private tour. The plan: snap some discreet photos during the tour, and then when we got behind home plate (what!! we couldn’t believe it!), he would pop the question and #shesaidyes ! This was all a perfect set up for his girlfriend, as she is a huge Yankees fan! (This was really also fun for us, despite Tim being a die-hard Red Sox fan, and Steph being a Queens-bred Mets fan).

Then the moment was nearing, and Tim was Steph’s practice model to test for lighting behind home plate, where Matt would pop the question! Matt and Emily walked over to pose for a picture with the tour guide (like we did), but Matt pulled out a heart felt letter, and ended with going down on one knee, to ask her to marry him. The board read “I may strike out, but Emily will you marry me?” It was so beautiful guys!! and we were overjoyed to be their photography team (of course making sure not to step on the grass, strict rule, or climb on the bench in the dugout - oops!).

We have been looking forward to deliver their gallery, and now that we have, here are some of our absolute favorites from their Surprise Proposal and Engagement session at Yankee Stadium. Love!

There were many sweet moments on the tour for the two of them and we had a blast too! It was actually quite an adventure for us to work together and pretend like we were taking pictures of each other, when we were actually taking pictures of Matt and Emily. What a rush, she almost caught us about three times (haha!) We visited so many cool spots in the Stadium, where we were particularly excited to walk through Monument Park, and even sit in The Judges’ Chamber. Being there was just that much more exciting because Matt and Emily’s proposal and engagement session was actually our very first full photography job as husband and wife (since we officially were married in May 2019 !! — more to come on that on our Catholic marriage blog).

Please join us in congratulating Matt + Emily on their engagement, and praying for them during this special time in their lives as they prepare to enter into marriage.

Their love for each other inspires us, and we really want to take the time to thank them for saying Yes to each other, and for all the couples who are making this commitment too. It’s so important to remember what you’re saying Yes to, and we are so grateful to photography such meaningful moments for the couples we have worked with. Married life is such a beautiful Grace, through the ups and down, but always together.

Styled Bridal Portraits | The Library, Wallingford, Connecticut

View fullsize

View fullsize

We recently had the crazy wonderful idea to put together a styled bridal shoot. We were partly influenced by our own amazing wedding photographer and partly influenced by the fact that we are getting closer every day to the start of our lifelong marriage! Perhaps in a later post we will write about 'How to plan a styled shoot,' but for now, we have some words of appreciation for the fantastic vendors we collaborated with.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

We have been immensely blessed by such an amazing and intentional team. We want to personally thank each of them for their willingness to work with us, to trust us to deliver images that matter, and for their time and talents. 

Thank you to Melissa from The Library Wine Bar and Bistro in Wallingford, Connecticut. This venue was the perfect place for our styled bridal shoot, offering gorgeous lighting and many wonderful locations for each of our brides. The private event space was particularly welcoming. The staff throughout the day were so helpful and we have immense gratitude for partaking in this shoot with such a high calibur venue and location. We recommended working with The Library's dedicated staff for your Wedding Day! 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Thank you to Tammy Rose from The Wallingford Flower Shoppe, for the gorgeous bouquets and boutonniere, customized for our models. These flowers were beyond what we could have imagined. Tammy is incredibly talented at creating and tailoring the bouquets that are beyond your expectations, and Wallingford Flower Shoppe is a team of trusted and dedicated florists and artists. The wedding day bouquet is an opportunity to express so much in such a delicate way. Flowers as art, and they embodied just that. We are grateful.

Thank you to Bliss Bridal Connecticut, the unmatched bridal boutique in Cheshire, Connecticut. Jess and her team from Bliss Bridal was so great to work with, offering us stunning wedding gowns from such a great selection of wedding dresses. They ensured that we'd have the best gowns to choose from to make our dream bridal shoot a reality. Any bride would be so blessed to find her dream wedding dress here!

View fullsize

View fullsize

Thank you to Averi, our amazing hair and make-up artist. She is incredible to work with, she brought our bridal beauty vision to life in each of our already stunning models. We are happy to hear, too, that she travels, so hopefully she will join us for our own wedding day next year (shameless plug haha).

And last but absolutely not least, to our wonderful models: Katelyn, Lauren, and Tristan. They were each a pleasure to work with, bringing their talents to shine forth in each image. They are also some of the nicest people we have met. We recommend working with them for your next photoshoot as well, and we look forward to working with them again if they will have us! 

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

In all honesty, we could not have been more blessed with the fantastic team we were able to collaborate with. Thank you to all of you for saying "Yes," to being a part of this styled bridal photoshoot, a dream for us now a reality--and all thanks to you. (To see more images from this styled shoot, be sure to check out our portrait and couples gallery).

View fullsize

Personal reflection: As you can tell, we have been overwhelmed in gratitude, for the opportunities that have come our way, as we continue to venture together.

We are #buildingwithgrace after all (referring to God's Grace, and Mercy of course). With that said, we are grateful to continue growing in our craft and in our relationship.

Please continue to pray for us during these trying times, that we (and you) can be encouraged in this way: whether through the fires or the storms, we know that God is good, and always with us. We believe that All things are possible through Christ, and we will continue to "pray, hope, and don't worry," trusting in the One who Loves us beyond all measure.  We are confident that the darkness will not overcome, and that Love will lead us through to the end. 

with scenescerity,

Tim+Steph

We Love our Mother | Small Business Branding Photography + Indoor Lifestyle Photoshoot | Bronx, NY

The month of May is beautiful for many reasons, not just to us, but to many people around the world. Of course, we are so excited that Spring is finally in full bloom.The Month of May is also, the Month of Mary, the one woman in the entirety of existence who suffered much with great love; additionally, today's month of May started with the feast day of St. Joseph--talk about a powerhouse month for family and work--truly great examples of laboring with love and something we aim for in everything we do as well.

For us in particular, this month marks many special events, both private and public, including new ventures! And, perhaps if you stick around and keep reading our updates, you will learn and see why (all we can say right now: is please keep us in your prayers!! It is greatly appreciated). Let us, at least say, that we have continued to learn much about love, and are more committed than ever to live our lives together, with and for Love as The Goal. In just a couple of weeks, it will mark our 3 year anniversary! This one is going to be extra special because of some really exciting news that we can't share just yet... But hang in there, it's almost time!! Let's just say we really look forward to collaborating with our new friends at Glorious Moments Photography.

Before we continue any more on our own emotional joys, we want to highlight a great Mother that we had the privilege of getting to know this past month. She is the owner of one our new favorite small businesses, Rose's Mama Creations. From artisanal drinks, to colorful and sweet chocolate-covered strawberry-rose-bouquets, and custom designs like this birthday balloon featured below, she is truly a creative and dedicated small business owner. With a heart for her daughter, she is an entrepreneur who, just like Mother Mary, does all things for the love of her family. We respect mothers who live this Truth in everything they do (just like our own mothers), and we both look forward to the day when we can take part in that Truth when it comes time to start our own family. 

Here are some of our favorite images: both branding for her small business, and of her beautiful baby girl who recently turned 7 months!! (P.S. These are her very own sweet treats and custom made balloons!)

Her Mother's Day treats are going on now--be sure to order some for yourself or the mother that makes all the difference in your life!

Message her here and let her know we sent you ;) She will deliver to you/your loved one--and just in time for any last minute Mother's Day gifts. Enjoy and may this month of May be filled with Love of Family. 

I love you where there's no space or time | Central Park Couples Photography

Valentine's Day actually has a great story behind it--about a great Saint (St. Valentine of Rome) --and it is definitely a day that we can remember is to celebrate Love. Love is worth fighting for, and even risking it all for (just like St. Valentine did during the year 269!).

This year, Valentine's day is especially wonderful because it coincides with another Catholic tradition, Ash Wednesday. This means that we will be celebrating the Love of all Loves, and our own little-'L' love. We will be celebrating St. Valentine's day and Ash Wednesday, with ashes on our forehead and a home-made fish dinner, along with full hearts, grateful for the opportunity to remember that life's greatest gift is, indeed, Love. 

We have been building our habit of gratitude for the other, with words and little acts every day, and something we regularly do, is dedicate music to each other.  There are two songs that we know we'll be dancing to on our own Wedding day (and in our living room when we're old and gray, God willing). These two songs are very special to us: Stephanie dedicates this cover to Timothy, "A Song for you," beautifully done by The Carpenters. Timothy dedicates this love song to Stephanie, "Wonderful tonight," by Eric Clapton. We do not have a lot of money right now, so sweets and treats are hard to come by, but these melodies make our hearts joyful and help us remember the importance of Love--especially when times are tough and every day has struggles of its own. What are some ways that you show your loved one how much they mean to you? 

Please share your comments below--maybe you can help inspire some great romantic gesture, even in the littlest ways!

With that, we want to share a very special featured session for a truly beautiful married couple, Juan and Natasha. These two lovebirds came away to New York to celebrate Juan's birthday (we think his wife is just the best for putting so much thought into making his birthday so special!). We were honored when Natasha reached out to us to take photographs of their first trip to NY as a couple. We were doubly honored when they shared their story with us--their struggles and their joys, and through it all, their sincere smiles and warm laughs. 

We can not tire of acknowledging the beauty of love. Real love--a love that sticks with it, through and through, no matter what comes. Love that fights for each other. Juan and Natasha are definitely great examples of this.

And so, here are some of our favorite images from their Winter Wonderland, "Best friends in Love," Central Park Photography Session ♡♡♡ We can't wait to see what Goodness the future brings these two. Cheers to you both! You are always welcome in NY!

with #scenescerity, Tim+Steph