Adam & Mandy // Grove City Engagement Photography

As we (here in the North East) brace for (hopefully) one last snowstorm of the season – I figured I better get my butt in gear & blog Adam & Mandy’s snowy engagement photos!

First off – I have to sing the praises of these two brave brave souls. We took these photos over New Year’s weekend (New Year’s Eve to be exact) and it was freezing – to say the least. Literally, the coldest weather I have ever been out shooting in. I’m truly not sure how we survived! In fact, looking back, I think we were a little bit crazy. I was bundled up (and not just a hat & gloves – I had leggings under my pants, 3 pairs of socks on, a long sleeve shirt, under my sweater, under my winter coat) and it took me over 2 hours to fully warm back up & stop shivering! I can only imagine how long it took Adam & Mandy to thaw out! Don’t get me wrong, they were bundled up too, but they didn’t have on as many layers as I did!

Needless to say: we survived! And I’m obsessed with the results! I mean, you can’t physically see the temperature we were shooting in, but you can see the gently falling snow & the glowing sun that peeked out at the end of the day!

The single digits & snow were really a drastic change for Adam & Mandy. They both currently live in warm & sunny Phoenix, Arizona (So, yes! Just another reason we were a little bit crazy to go shooting in single-digit temps! At least here in PA we are “used” to the cold (if you can call it that?) – they are absolutely not). We had really good reason to do engagement photos that particular day though – the main one being that, they’re from Arizona! And thus aren’t in Pennsylvania every other weekend (I know, duh). So, when they came back to southwestern PA to visit Adam’s family over the holidays, it was do-or-die (I promise, I’m not exaggerating when I say, we almost died).

Adam & Mandy both went to college at Grove City College and I’m not going to lie, I’m loving these GCC lovebird couples! I’ve photographed a whole slew of them over the last 2 years – they are so much fun! Mandy was a senior when Adam was just starting school as a freshman. They met in a mutual music class & instantly hit it off. They had a ton in common and very quickly an easy-going friendship was formed. As the winter semester progressed into the spring, they became really close friends. But that was all: just “best friend” status.

As Mandy graduated & moved back home to Arizona (to pursue law school) and Adam stayed behind at Grove City to continue his schooling, they parted ways. But as the summer started, they each realized something: they missed each other – pretty bad. What do they say? That absence makes the heart grow fonder? Well, that was definitely the case for Adam & Mandy. From opposite ends of the country, a long-distance relationship sparked & was fanned to life. And well, you could say the rest is history.