Last week I was in Yorkshire, England for the first time visiting our friends Erin & Mike! Now, these two started out as an email in my inbox about wedding photography in the summer of 2016. Somehow that inquiry turned into a FaceTime date, which turned into a double date, which turned into another double date and… you get the picture!! Something about Erin really clicked with me, and Justin has said the same thing about Mike. “I really like them!” were his first words when we got back in the car after our first dinner at Erin & Mike’s place last Fall! So you can imagine how mixed my feelings were when Erin shared that they’d be moving to ENGLAND. What?! But we’d just started to get to know them!! Thankfully, they were insistent that we’d have to come visit as soon as we could and somehow they were kind enough to hire me for anniversary photos in Harrogate, where they’re now living. What a DREAM. I can’t thank them enough.
The best part about this shoot was the lifestyle feel to it all. We started at their flat and walked our normal route up the street to town, cutting across in front of the Cairn Hotel before passing the Royal Pump Room Museum and ending at The Stray, which is the gorgeous park where Erin & Mike walk their dog, Poppy. Oh, she’s ADORABLE by the way… you’ll see below!! I had so many flashbacks taking these photos because it reminded me so much of their engagement session just a little over a year ago in DC with their puppy Ellie. Erin and Mike have been through a lot this past year… from moving their wedding date up by seven months to relocating overseas to losing their two year old puppy… I am so glad to have been their friend through this season and to have gotten to know them in such an intimate way.
Needless to say, this past week with them at their new home in Harrogate was SO much fun. It was so relaxing. We had afternoon tea every day, binged two Netflix series while we worked, and had some crazy delicious take-out Indian food and Italian style pizza at the pub in town (appropriately called Major Tom’s). Oh, and so much beer… never too much at once, but plenty to give me a solid sampling of England’s best cask ales!! (So, so good.) I loved that this shoot was a piece of this week I can bring home with me and remember our walks downtown by. It’s a unique life Erin & Mike are living as Americans in the U.K. so I’m SO glad they decided to capture it through anniversary photos!! I actually can’t believe it’s been a year since I was celebrating their wedding day with them… almost down to the day!
Erin and Mike, thank you SO MUCH for all the food, deep convos, and amazing wine. As always, it was such a special and memorable time for me and a week I just can’t stop telling everyone about! You are two of the most intelligent people I’ve ever met and I value my time with you so greatly. I can’t wait until we get to hang out again. Until then, enjoy these anniversary portraits, and I hope you treasure them as much as I do!
