Alyson’s orchard Engagement Session | Tiff & Douglas

Alyson’s Orchard Engagement Session

Tiff and Douglas

Every day I am even more grateful for my job. And I’ll explain why, in my typical wordy way… haha Admittedly, I have been battling with a bout of depression. Suffering from depression isn’t new for me. It’s been an on-going struggle for most of my adult life. Some days are better than others. But one thing I’m learning- is to love who you are. Imperfections and all.

Along with the depression, I suffer from a constant nagging thought. That thought is “I’m not good enough”. I’m learning to be true to myself and hopefully encouraging others to do the same. We are all #badasses in our own unique ways, but sometimes it takes a while to realize that. I want others to see in themselves the awesomeness that the world see’s. If I can do something for my couples it’s hopefully showing them that they are beautiful. They are amazing. No-one should feel … Not good enough. Or not pretty enough. So when Tiffany texted me saying that she can’t believe how beautiful she looks in the sneak peek pictures. And that it’s the very best version of her. . . That made me want to cry. Because… Girl.. you are AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!

When I quit my nursing career to be a photographer… most thought I was crazy. And of course, I second guessed my decision too. But as the years move forward… and the more couples I meet and work with… the more I’m seeing the clarity in my decision. It’s almost like the universe knew all along what I was meant to do. I was meant to document life… document stories… and document love.

Now I’m nowhere near where I want to be, and I’m constantly striving to make each session better than the last… but I’m also learning that everything happens for a reason. Every Mistake, Every triumph, Every Thing… happens for a reason. And I’m grateful EVERY FRIGGIN’ DAY that I get to do what I do.. and I get to work with kickass couples like Tiffany and Douglas. And each one teaches me something new. Each couple a new friendship is formed… and I’m forever grateful. I seriously have #thebestjobever!

When I was reading Tiff and Douglas’s Answers to the questions below… she mentioned how they met because of “Chance“. (AKA Fate.) When you see the pictures that were made from their Engagement session at Alyson’s Orchard– you will see just how perfect these two are together. Tiff is the sweetest girl, (who has the most mesmerizing eyes!!) And Douglas is so laid back and chill! (A former US Marine too!! ) They put so much thought into their session, and it really shows!

We originally were supposed to have their session the day before, but torrential downpours put a stop to that! So we met the following day, and despite the brief sprinkle we had, we were blessed with numerous skies, (yes… cloudy, rainy, clear, and a colorful sunset… all in one session!) This perfect *for us* weather- paired with the most Awesome couple and their amazing visions…. we made some kickass pictures!

Tiff and Douglas will be tying the knot September 29th, 2018 at Stonewall Farm in Keene.

So why don’t you learn a little more about these two!!

How did you two love birds meet?
How we met can really be summed up in one word: Chance. I can still remember the terribly nervous feeling of starting a new job, in a new place, and not knowing anyone. (I would later find out that Douglas understood this feeling entirely because he was in the same situation.) As I began to get to know the people around me, I was met with friendliness and kindness. My new co-workers, in particular, were amazing. An added bonus was the cute, funny guy who would seemingly go out of his way to talk to me. As I got to know him better I learned he was only in the area temporarily reconnecting with family. It didn’t take long, however, before I began to notice his time in New Hampshire was becoming more permanent. Thoughts of leaving began disappearing. In their place were feelings of love and happiness. Eventually, we realized we were both exactly where we needed to be the whole time. Together. Douglas never did end up leaving! We continue to grow closer every day. I often think of how lucky we are. Timing truly is everything. Had we not both been in the right place, at the right time, we may have never met.
What did you do on your first date? (and was is fun, awkward, nervous etc)
What we would consider being our first date was not even meant to be a date. At this particular time, Douglas and I were just friends at work. A common after-work ritual at the time was going out for dinner/drinks with the rest of our friends. During one of these after-work get-togethers, I could feel myself not wanting to leave. As our friends began retiring for the night, one by one, I was enjoying being around Douglas’ charming and witty personality. For hours we stayed at the same restaurant. We laughed and joked. We told stories from our pasts. We genuinely just enjoyed being around one another. Isn’t it funny how quickly time goes, the harder you try to make it stop?! There finally came a time when we both had to leave. We were both exhausted from a long day, and as much as we were trying to hold on to the night, we both needed rest. We said our lingering goodbyes and hugged as we left. With this embrace, it was clear that our feelings for each other were mutual, and growing!
How did he propose?
Fate is one of those words that means something different to everyone. When I think about what fate means to me, it just means when some things happen there’s a reason why. It may not be a logical reason, but more of a feeling of knowing things are just meant to be. In my opinion, this kind of fate played a large role in our engagement. Our engagement story began in July. On our way home from the beach, Douglas and I began to talk about our future hopes and dreams. Some big, and some small. One of the short-term goals we agreed on was having a pet. We decided that we wanted an orange kitten, and we went as far as to decide that day that we would name him Oliver (Ollie for short). A few months went by, until I was at work and received a text out of the blue from Douglas. It was a picture of an orange kitten that was up for adoption at a shelter. From that moment on we were in love with him. We had to make him part of our family. We immediately filled out the application and waited. We waited for the longest two weeks to hear if we were able to come get this kitten. We made many unanswered inquiries as to if he was even still available to adopt. We would convince ourselves daily not to get our hopes up until finally we were left to assume he had already been adopted. Crushed, we decided that we would instead head to our local shelter and see which kittens were available for adoption. As we were pulling out of our driveway to do just that, Douglas received a curious call from a number we didn’t recognize. This was the call that decided we could come get the kitten that we had been wishing would be ours for two and a half weeks. Though Oliver was supposed to be a Christmas present we rushed to go get him. When we picked up his medical records we realized that he was born on my birthday. We still consider this a sign from the universe that he was meant to belong with me/us. Douglas’ proposal came on Christmas morning. In the earliest hours of the morning, we were barely awake and Oliver was cuddled up with us. I began to pet him, and explain to him how he was the best Christmas present ever. As I was petting him, I felt something strange when ran my hand against his collar. When I opened my sleepy eyes I couldn’t believe there was an engagement ring tied to his collar!!!
What do you both do for fun? Hobbies?
A few things that we enjoy doing together would be going for long car rides, heading to the beach, attending any Boston Sports games, taking scenic walks, hanging out with our families, and of course, binge watching t.v. with our adorable kitten.
Do either of you have funny quirks or habits that drive the other nuts? (HAHA)
Of course, we each have flaws, but that’s what makes us who we are. We are both able to look past each other’s imperfections, but here are the habits that drive each other crazy. Douglas: We call it “Tiffany Time”. Most of the time she waits until the absolute last minute to leave the house when she has somewhere to be. I just wish she wouldn’t stress herself out by running late. Tiffany: Douglas jokes around all of the time. I may be gullible, but he’s way too good at sounding sincere when he’s really pulling my leg. It’s just not fair.
How are the wedding plans coming along? What are your wedding day visions?
We’ve had such a great time planning our wedding together. Right now we are very close to finishing all of the major planning. The outdoor venue we have chosen, on a farm, has an awesome rustic, romantic feeling. We plan to spend this sentimental day in late September with our closest friends and family, in an intimate ceremony followed by a relaxing, laid back reception.
As a couple who is currently actively planning your wedding- can you offer any advice to other couples? What would be your biggest piece of advice?
Our biggest advice to other couples is to start planning immediately. We have been absolutely amazed by how many vendors are booked almost 2 years in advance. Some other helpful hints we would like to pass on would include: Don’t sweat the small stuff. This is all supposed to be fun. It will all come together. When budgeting consider what things are more important to you (that you would budget more for; for us the biggies were photos and catering) and what things are less important to you (that you don’t mind kind of skimping on; for us flowers and a DJ are not the top priority) Stay true to who you are as a couple. This your day. Don’t let other people’s opinions interfere with your perfect day.