Andy & I have been photographing soon-to-be married couples for almost as long as we’ve been married ourselves. Even after twelve years of doing this, we still get super excited when we meet a sweetly smitten couple with whom we really click. And, we’ve been reeeeaaaallly lucky to have met more than our fair share of them.

But, every now and then, a couple comes along that totally blows us away. Tanya & Stu are just such a couple.

We quickly discovered that they are incredibly sweet, kind, warm, loving, smart, funny, fun, really interesting people in the kind of way that makes you want to be new besties. But, even before meeting them, Tanya & Stu had us at, “Hello!”

Back in December, they sent us the most crazy sweet email to let us know that they had been following our work for years, since a friend (one of our bello brides) had posted her engagement photos on Facebook, and even though they were not yet formally engaged, they really wanted us to be a part of their wedding.

“First of all, I just wanted to tell you how much my boyfriend and I truly love and admire your work,” they wrote. “The sincerity, care and thought you put into each shot is evident in the quality of your photos. We always knew that when our time came, we would want you to be a part of it. While we’re still nailing down the wheres and whens, one thing we know for sure is that we would love for you to capture our moments, if at all possible. I realize it may be a bit late in the game for the upcoming season, but we wanted to see what your availabilities were in that time frame. We look forward to hearing from you!”

I remember thinking I’d cry if we couldn’t make their schedule fit with ours. It sounds kind of pathetic, but when I am made to feel genuinely valued and appreciated, I will move Heaven and Earth for you. I should probably feel more confident in my abilities without needing such shameless reinforcement from others, but, I admit….flattery will get you everywhere with me. Andy’s a lot more secure than I….though if we’re being really honest, he loves that kind of sincere praise too. I think it actually helps with the creative process. If someone is excited about us, we’re excited about them and want to work that much harder at blowing them away with our work.

The longer I do this, the more I realize that the relationship between photographer and subject truly is a symbiotic one. And, the more each gives, the more each receives, and the richer the experience is overall.

Fortunately, we did have some availability in August, when they were considering having their wedding. We arranged to meet, and during that meeting, we did what I suspected we would….we fell head over heels for Tanya and Stu. All of that love & goodness continued when we got together with them last weekend for their Bello Love Session.

We met our happy couple in Wareham, at Stu’s mom’s house, which is where he & Tanya will celebrate their nuptials, surrounded by family & friends. We can’t wait!!!  And here is why….

The lovely Tanya & Stu…

Wareham is Tanya & Stu’s happy place. They first met in Maimi in 2009 and have since moved to Rhode Island. Stu is a professional/Olympic sailor, so he is in Newport and Florida and traveling around the world quite a lot for work, but when they have quality time together, they love going to Wareham. And, this boathouse has very strong & happy memories for Stu, who spent a lot of time here a kid. It is where his love of sailing was born. There is no better place to document love than in a place that holds much in its memories.

I always find it funny when a couple tells us they don’t generally look good in photos and are “really uncomfortable” in front of the camera. Particularly when they almost always look just like this…..I mean do they get any cuter than these two??

I don’t think so. Love & sweetness personified!!!

Tanya was particularly nervous about being photographed…Stu is a bit more used to it in his work, although he’s generally on a boat and not snogging his sweetie. Even though we were taking photos off in the distance, lying on the ground or ducking behind bushes, I kept hearing him telling Tanya how beautiful she was or how good she was doing. Kind words of encouragement seem an often used ingredient in this loving relationship, and it was so sweet to be around. But, what I love so much about the below photo on the left is how Tanya is holding onto Stu, but it is he who looks like he’s being held up by Tanya. The way these two are together is everything I love about photographing couples!

And the way they kiss…..purrrrrrrrr!

Hello lovelies!

This next photo was actually the first taken in the trees. They thought we were just testing light….and it is these in between moments that are often my favorites!!! Tender touches, loving glances….that is where the magic can be found!

Andy & I loved the graphic nature of the fencing surrounding the pool. Add in some nice overcast light and a too-cute-for-words couple and voila….

leading lines + a sexy leading man and his gorgeous gal = heaven

Spring, oh how I love thee….

A couple that plays together, stays together…

Love. Love. Love.

When they laugh, their faces light up brighter than the beautiful tree they’re under. Makes me so happy!

We can’t wait to see what this arbor will look like come August, but even just twigs, it’s still a lovely backdrop for our lovely couple.

Like a little love nest…

I love the way Tanya & Stu look at each other. It’s so obvious how much they care for one another and getting to be around that is just good for the soul!

The weather on the day we got together with Tanya & Stu was so crazy. One minute it was bright sun, the next it was raining (for a second). It was too sunny earlier in the day to head to the water, but Tanya & Stu were total troopers and up for getting on the water, despite a little rain…Love the pic of Tanya waiting for the guys to get the canoe out of the boathouse. She didn’t know I was going to take a picture and again…those in between moments are some of the best! Then again, watching these cuties smoosh onto a one-person seat and try and paddle together was pretty awesome too.

It made for a lot of giggling, which is always a key ingredient for the bello love session.

bye bye….

canoodling in the canoe….

We decided to end our session with a little banangrams, since playing games is something Tanya & Stu love doing together.

They are very much like Andy & me when we play games….they have fun, but winning is no joke.

It was so fun watching Tanya peel like a madwoman. But, Stu quickly caught up and took over the lead…

There was some challenging of words by the peanut gallery (Andy & yours truly). We were taking photos, but nothing gets past us…

I climbed up to get a different perspective and we all giggled when I mentioned some of Tanya’s word choices, given this was going on the web. Can you spot the one I mean? LOL!

And as if a perfect afternoon could not get any better, we looked back as we drove away and were bid adieu by this…..of course, had to stop and snap one last photo, since the rainbow ends exactly where Tanya & Stu will say, “I do!” I think it’s a wonderful sign of things to come!

Tanya & Stu, thank you both so very much for being so incredibly kind & excited about us, right from hello! I wish we could express better how much that means to us. We do this work because we love it and are passionate about documenting love & life in a way that is beautiful, creative and always emotional, but knowing that others appreciate the love & care we put into every aspect of our work makes all of the sacrifices and hard work worthwhile….and significantly more fun!!! You two are such wonderful people and such a truly inspiring couple. We have loved every moment we’ve spent with you and we’re so totally honored to get to be a part of this exciting time in your lives. We look forward to meeting your families & friends, who are no doubt equally as wonderful and full of love for life as you. For now, we hope these photos bring as much joy to you as you have brought to us! But, don’t for a second let our affection for you cause you to think we’re going to let you win at games night. Ha! Seriously though, can’t wait to hang out again soon! Lots of love & big rainbow-filled hugs, Chris & Andy xoxoxo