You know those people that you meet and instantly connect with? Ayn & Brad are those people for me. When they reached out about photographing their wedding, everything about their inquiry sounded incredible… And then all it took was one phone call to realize I NEEDED to be a part of this amazing couple’s journey.
Ayn & Brad met in Athens through mutual friends and have been together for over 5 years now. They love hiking, being outdoors, and adventuring with their pup, so naturally they chose to go back to one of their first date locations for their engagement photos: Watson Mill Bridge State Park.
I had been stalking the weather forecast for days, trying to figure out when we could fit this session in. At the last minute, we moved the session to a different day in order to avoid the rain. But right as I pulled into the entrance of the park, the sky opened up and it began raining (NOT what the forecast had predicted). I knew they had driven a couple hours for this, so I pulled out my phone to check the radar and see when the rain would pass…. except there’s no service inside the park!! So not only could I not see the forecast, but I also couldn’t find Ayn & Brad or contact them about the weather / where they were parked. Talk about STRESSFUL.
Fortunately I found them and we waited out the rain (and you can see some raindrops in a couple of the bridge pictures). It was basically 100% humidity, SUPER muggy, and we were all drenched in sweat… but even so, these are some of my FAVORITE photos ever, and I’m grateful that Ayn & Brad had such adventurous and chill attitudes about the whole thing. I definitely didn’t expect them to wade out into the slippery shoals the way they did, but I LOVE the resulting photos!
Also can we just talk about Ayn’s stunning vintage engagement ring?! In love. And I loved getting to meet Toby, who they adopted through Lifeline Animal Project in Atlanta (one of my FAVE rescue organizations). Such a sweetheart.
Okay, enough rambling. Basically this couple is awesome and I cannot WAIT to photograph their wedding at Cloverleaf Farm this fall.
- Emma Rose | UGA
Athens Georgia Senior Photographer - January 7, 2025 - Matt & Kalia Surprise Proposal
Athens Georgia Photographer - December 28, 2024 - Bailey & Drew
Athens Georgia Engagement - December 3, 2024
