PERSONAL | Vanessa's Bridal Shower

I have already blogged about my sister Vanessa's wedding and her bachelorette surprise overnight!  I haven't yet shared about her beautiful bridal shower at the Norwich Inn & Spa!

The Hunt Room at the Norwich Inn & Spa offered the perfect combination of both the rustic elements and touches of elegance that would also be present in her wedding decor.  Red plaid touches on the invitations and other paper goods, adorable birdhouse place card holders, and bunches of green hydrangeas adorned the tables in the room. It was a wonderful backdrop to the family and friends gathering to celebrate as Vanessa prepared to get married!

ENGAGEMENT | John & Bridget

I just cannot say enough how awesome John and Bridget were at their engagement session!  It's no surprise to me that they were fantastic since I've photographed them back in 2012 as a couple!  In addition, we also did senior portrait sessions (here and here) then as well so they're no strangers to me or my camera!  This winter here in the southern state of Virginia has been crazy to say that least!  It's been colder and snowier this winter than I've seen in a long time.  In spite of the cold weather, we decided to photograph their engagement session in January on the Blackwater Creek Trail.  The feeling was different from a summer session I did there previously.  The little bit of snow along the river and the branches had a very uncovered loveliness that can only be found during wintertime.  John and Bridget also got to spend some time snuggled in a blanket and that made for some cozy portraits!  They are getting married on July 5th in Vermont and I cannot wait!  Their wedding is going to be fantastic!

PERSONAL | Vanessa's Surprise Bachelorette Overnight

Vanessa, was actually the second of my sister's to get married in 2013 (the first being Brittany - the third youngest!).  You can read all about Brittany's 2013 wedding preparations and celebrations over the course of the year here, here, here and here!  But enough about that - this post is about Vanessa's surprise bachelorette overnight adventure!

Vanessa had no idea exactly what we were planning when we (Brittany, Alex, and I) arrived home for her bridal shower weekend.  The three of us had spent some time over the 11 hour car ride composing a poem to inform the bride to be of her surprise event and how to prepare!  The next day, the bridesmaids gathered and traveled to the Jonny Cake Center to pick her up at work!  It was perfectly planned as they were throwing her an engagement party the same day also!

We got into the bridesmaid bus (aka my family's full size van) and headed to our first destination!  The Conklin girls have been lovers of horses and riding since we were children so we were off to C+L Stables in West Greenwich, RI for horseback riding along the coast line.  It was fantastic weather for it and scenery was just unbelievable - picturesque sailboats framed by marsh grasses and cloud scattered skies. Throughout the day, Vanessa opened cards from each one of her bridesmaids expressing their love, special memories, and blessings for the future of her marriage. 

Hannah wasn't able to come with us for the riding because of her work schedule but she lived really close to the stable - so we just picked her up on our way to the next stop!  From there we headed to the Hyatt Place in Uncasville, CT to check in and prepare for our evening events!  We had a wonderful view of the tree tops as the sun set.  We got dressed up and headed out for a night out on the town!  We had dinner at Bella Fiore in Norwich and then headed out to Mohegan Sun!  The bride to be played some slots on us girls and we thoroughly tired out our feet from our high heels from walking around.  We headed back to the hotel for the perfect ending to the evening - chocolate, wine, and opening gifts we got for the bride!