Western New York has this way of making me fall in and out of love with it, every single year. The day we did Morgan and Joel’s engagement session was definitely one of those falling “out” days… These two could not have chosen a colder day to capture their engagements if they tried. With windchill, it was at least -5 degrees, and poor Morgan was wearing a dress well over half the time. I was in snow pants, a warm coat, gloves and a hat… and I was FROZEN. This girl is a rockstar, let me tell you what!

We have this analogy going… Jesse and I. And we let Morgan and Joel in on it after meeting up for dinner to talk wedding planning one night. It goes like this: Weddings are kind of like a football game. The bride is the quarterback, calling all the plays and making big things happen. Fans (guests) show up to see the quarterback and support the team as a whole, of course! But let’s be honest… the team can’t function without the QB.

I know what you’re thinking… “If the bride is the quarterback, the groom has to be the wide receiver or running back.” No. Wrong. Those positions are probably the maid of honor and bridesmaids, if we’re being realistic. (Homegirls do tons of planning and assist the bride left and right. So they can be the other playmakers!)

The groom… the groom is the football.

Footballs play an important role. The game can’t happen without the football, as it gives the entire game purpose. But no one comes to actually watch the football.

If you’re a bride, have been a bride in the past, or have been any part of a wedding at all, you can probably nod your head in agreement that this is typically how things work. Obviously, there are some instances where this analogy does not apply.

Joel is one of those instances.

Somehow, Morgan was gifted with a defective football. Her football has lots of opinions, calls 90% of the shots, and even when his team is on defense, he’s whispering calls into the coach’s ear. I’d like to classify Joel as the backup quarterback, but when it comes to these two…he just might be the first string. He is a decision-making machine and has no problem putting in his two-cents on all things wedding planning. It is SO rare to have a groom that shares any opinions at all, but now that I have met Joel, I know that quarterback grooms really do exist. And I’m pretty sure that, if this were the NFL, Morgan landed herself the Tom Brady of quarterback grooms.

All jokes aside, I truly love these two. I’m not sure that freezing in the middle of WNY January weather would have been worth it with anyone else! After spending two hours out in the subarctic temperatures, we drank hot cocoa, ate AMAZING food and watched movies together. It was one of my favorite Saturday nights in a long time!

My brain is still having a hard time comprehending that the next time I’ll be photographing these two, it will be 80+ degrees warmer than when I captured their engagements. We will actually be able to feel our fingers and toes, while we soak up the Dominican Republic sunshine and celebrate the first day of their forever. AHHHH! I am way too excited, already! Morgan & Joel— thank you for being such wonderful clients. I am so honored to be capturing your love in the Caribbean next year!! The next 15 months are going to be an adventure planning together… and I cannot wait!