Katherine and Matteo – engaged

When I first met with Katherine about her wedding, I was captivated by her love story immediately. It’s the stuff movie romance is made of, and the kind of thing every girl day dreams about on a flight to Europe. While in Florence, Italy for work, Katherine met Matteo…. and now they are engaged to be married this summer.

This was one such a personal and unique engagement sessions. Matteo was only here visiting for a few days and after their wedding they plan to move back to Florence. Katherine explained to me she really wanted photos that represented where she is from, to take back with her to Italy after the wedding. I really love Katherine’s pride in her hometown. I’m sure it’s obvious, but downtown is one of my favorite settings. I could shoot their every day and still find it fresh and inspiring. Originally, we planned to stop downtown just for a few iconic shots, then move on to a natural setting. Yet, we changed our plans when we realized it was the night of the Downtown Street Fair. How perfect is that for your very own hometown inspired photo shoot? We walked the streets taking photos along the way.

There were also a few personal touches that made this shoot so special. Katherine and Matteo brought flags to represent their countries. We made a spontaneous stop at Dagny’s because the two of them love coffee. The very talented Don Ambriz, of Hand Lettered Envelopes, made some beautiful calligraphy pieces for us with personal notes for the couple. Beautiful hand lettering is an art, and having it done right makes a huge difference when you want something to have a personal touch yet still keep it elegant and classy. Calligraphy was never an art I learned and it makes me happy to know that artist like him are keeping calligraphy alive and strong. “My Love” is how Katherine and Matteo refer to each other – so sweet! We should also give a big thanks to the Bellmore, which is a an amazing new gallery on 20th and Chester. They allowed us to pop in ans take some shots in there which turned out to be some of my favorites of the shoot. The Bellmore has such a cool vibe and it also has some great art. Their grand opening will be on the 24th so visit their website for more info!

Now… for the photos