Emily & Eric are passionate, busy teachers living and working at the Olney Friends School, a private Quaker boarding school located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Barnesville, Ohio.
With 350 acres, including a working farm, complete with goats, chickens, cattle and vegetable gardens, the school’s curriculum incorporates the area’s natural resources, allowing students to participate in various activities that help maintain the property, while providing experience-based science & math skills.
Andy & I put on our destination wedding photographers’ hats a few weeks ago and traveled to Ohio to see Emily & Eric for their engagement session. We were so impressed with the school, the students & staff we met, and the commitment our lovebirds have for their young charges and the beautiful place they now call home.
Living and working at the school, Emily & Eric are as dedicated as two people can be to education, their students, and the life they’ve created for themselves. Finding time to break away and come back home for some face time with us proved challenging, so we were happy to head out there to see them.
It was the first time Andy or I had ever spent any real time in Ohio and we loved it! It’s a beautiful area of the country, and getting to see Emily & Eric in their element gave us a deeper understanding of who they are and that which makes them tick, causing us to fall a little further in love.
Although it was the first time meeting Eric for us, we’ve known Emily for a few years now. We first met her back in 2008, when we photographed the wedding of her sister, Pam, and her now husband, Erik.
Like Pam & Erik, Emily & Eric will also have their wedding ceremony & reception in the backyard of the girls’ family home in Sandwich, here on beautiful Cape Cod. Backyard weddings are our favorite kind! When you take such a meaningful ceremony and have it in a place that holds great meaning, surrounded by the people you love most…well, it’s just a winning combination that can’t be beat!
We met up with Emily & Eric after flying into Pittsburgh earlier that day. We spent a couple of hours touring the city, which we’d never been to and which we really quite enjoyed (When we get some free time, we’ll share a few photos of the City of Bridges here on the blog). We then drove a couple of hours West to Barnesville, which is a pretty, small, rural town with a population of about 4300.
After settling in to the guest house on the campus, we headed out to dinner with our hosts and had a blast. The next morning, we scouted out the campus, looking for some sweet spots for photos….honestly, there was so much inspiration it was hard to pick just a few, but later that day, we spent a few hours playing and documenting Emily & Eric in the place they love.The results…..well, we hope they speak for themselves. Here’s a look at our super fun time with Emily & Eric…
Love in a goat barn….baaaaaaaa! (Sarah, the goat, was exceptionally interested in what we were doing. She’s such a sweetie.)
Hay piles + goats + a rustic barn and a crazy cute couple bathed in beautiful light = Heaven!
Sarah leading the tribe to check out what we’re up to…..
Hanging out on hay bails…
Looking good, y’all!
Gotta love a vintage old tractor.
The look of love…
A little roll in the hay…hey now!
Love this sweet exchange between Emily and one of the goats. So lovely.
Playfully perfect….
One of the two cows living on the campus. There are dozens more on a different plot of land not far from the campus, also owned by the school. But this young guy will likely be dinner down the road. I think his name was beef tips.
Maybe it’s because we don’t see many around the Cape, but I love me a big red barn…..add in some free roaming chickens and a cuddling couple, with fall’s changing leaves framing everything perfect….just awesome!
Cock-a-doodle-doo!
I’m not sure what kind of chickens these were…I know they were kept for their egg production, but they were super cute & curious, following us around everywhere.
Even for this quiet moment of cuddling, a couple of chickens hopped up on the hay bail to see what was going on.
Totally adorable…
This little guy got pretty friendly, even giving a peck at our happy couple.
Happy. Happy. Happy…
This is what love feels like…
Sweet, pretty, lovely Emily.
Emily is tiny in stature, though her big personality fits Eric’s perfectly.
Love this tender moment….
Sitting on a pile of logs…..why not!
Love that moment just before the kiss….precious!
These two are so perfectly suited to one another. Love these two!
They each have a witty sense of humor and know how to make each other laugh. Just love that!
Chilling out on the very cool suspension bridge on the campus. We were waiting for the sun to go behind the clouds, but I have to say….Eric didn’t seem to be in a rush to move.
I loooooooove me some tall grass mixed with wildflowers. A playful couple frolicking through? Yeah, I might have squealed.
Fall is my favorite season….the color, the freshness in the air, and the desire to cuddle is irresistible.
Moving on….love the natural expressions!
Collegiate color…
The look of love….ahhhhhh!
Love Emily’s expression in the photo on the right. Although these two were a little concerned about PDA…just in case their students caught wind of what was going on…we were able to find spots away from the kids and our lovebirds let their love shine!
And, sometimes….well, let’s be honest, PDA in front of two people pointing cameras at you can make you feel a little silly. Happily, these two make silly look good!
Heading back to the homestead…..this is the guest cottage and also where Emily & Eric have their apartment.
What’s better than snuggling on a porch swing with your sweetie? Not a lot!
Andy & I had soooo much fun on our visit to Ohio! Emily & Eric, thank you both so much for making us feel so welcome! Thank you for sharing yourselves with us and showing us around your school and your home! We loved sharing meals together and playing games is always a fave for us…even if you did kick our butts, Em! 🙂 We hope you enjoy these photos, that they are a true reflection of who you both are, your beautiful relationship and this exciting time in your lives…both in your roles at the school, and also as you plan what will no doubt be an AMAZING wedding! We cannot wait to be there with you, your family & friends as you say, “I do!” and begin the next happy chapter in your lives! Until then, sending big love & hugs, Christine & Andy xoxo