Posted by Brittany on September 2, 2010 | No Comments
Hi everyone! Not only am I an Assistant Wedding Coordinator with One & Only Events, I am also a bride-to-be! Alison asked me to share our Engagement Session and I am so excited to do so!
Just like any engaged couple, we were on the hunt for the perfect location . . . not for our wedding venue but for our Engagement Session. We drove all across San Diego County for months searching for “the spot.“ We hiked every inch of Mission Trails and spent hours scouring the internet. Our goal for our Engagement Session was to showcase our love for each other (and our puppy Ellie!) while complimenting our Rustic Autumn themed wedding. My criteria seemed simple enough: a large tree in the middle of a field. I had seen so many Midwestern brides take pictures with a huge tree in a field and I fell in love with the look. But it was not so simple to find this in San Diego County. We finally found “the tree” at the William Heise Park in Julian on one of our scouting trips just a week before the Engagement Session.
The Wedding Tree, aptly named, sat in a large field inside the campground, just like I had always pictured. We decided we wanted to do a two part Engagement Session with one being a picnic in the field and the other a camping themed shoot around a fire. For the picnic we found a cute picnic basket and packed it with goodies like grapes, cheese and crackers. We also brought a bottle of wine from a winery we had visited while on a trip to Napa Valley. I am an avid crafter and quilter and took on the task of sewing a quilt (in our wedding colors) in less than a month to use as a picnic blanket and as well at the wedding. To complete the look we brought a bouquet of wildflowers that my fiance picked out all by himself! For our wedding I was already planning on making a few signs and decided I would make them in advance to use at the Engagement Session. The date sign was made with leftover burlap and stenciled with craft paint while the “Love” sign was made from leftover fabric from our quilt.
The campground idea came about as I perused my wedding blogs one day and saw the cutest camping Engagement Session set up in the couple’s backyard. We decided to pitch a tent and roast hot dogs and marshmallows in front of a roaring fire, even though it was the hottest day we had this summer. Ellie took a rest under the shade of the tree while we posed for pictures. We wanted the pictures to have a laid-back and comfortable feel to reflect our lifestyle. We love being outdoors, especially with Ellie and who doesn’t love a good campout dinner?
We brought along all the fixings to make hot dogs and s’mores, including beer from a brewery we had visited on a trip to Colorado. And the best part was we got to eat what we made! We loved the idea of plaid shirts and just happened to find the perfect shirts while shopping at the outlet shops. Creating this part of the Engagement Session was easy. We used many things we already had in the house from a basket to mason jars to the burlap table runner (also to be used at our wedding!). The biggest part was the grocery shopping!
We couldn’t be happier with how the day and pictures turned out! These pictures will be a reminder of our planning process for years to come. Thank you
Emily Faulknor Photography!
