I’m Stephanie, a wedding + lifestyle photographer based in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Warrenton, Virginia. Whether I’m by the mountains of Colorado or Virginia, my soul feels at home, surrounded by rural living and the raw beauty of nature. I genuinely love what I do, and feel so passionate to share the enthusiasm and joy of these celebrations with you!

DOCUMENTING LOVE'S UNSCRIPTED CHAPTERS FROM COUPLES & FAMILIES IN COLORADO + VIRGINIA

@stephaniemessickphoto

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April 8, 2014

Chris & Hayley | Downtown Leesburg + 48 Fields, Virginia Engagement Photographer

With the weather forecast threatening to postpone Chris and Hayley’s engagement session, we decided to take a chance. Hayley is a photographer and Chris works A LOT. So with their schedules, this had to work! We prayed continuously all day … God answered our prayers because from start to finish, it was perfect! We even ended with a little sunshine peaking through the clouds! I was in “awe”! Today, I am SO excited to share this session with you all! Ever since they came into my office a few months ago, I immediately fell in love with their love for one another. They have a spunky, bubbly, happy personality that is super contagious! I loveeeeed capturing their love through the camera and looking forward what their wedding day will look like! I know it is going to be amazing! <3 The way they look into each other’s eyes makes them smile so big … and me!

We met in downtown Leesburg and walked around on the busy streets … it was pretty hectic, but we were able to find little spots that were more intimate. 🙂 I even bumped into one of my previous SMP Brides, Ellie and the soon to be Mr. & Mrs. Matt and Esther! What a surprise! After finishing up around downtown, we packed up and headed out to Kelly’s new venue, 48 Fields! She and her husband are in the process of fixing it up for the near future for weddings! I LOVE the space and really believe it will attract many brides in the area and even outside of the area. 🙂 She has so many great ideas and plans for the next year and I’m looking forward to the transformation since visiting it on Friday! Thank you SO much Kelly for allowing us to use the space and to be the very first of many portrait sessions to take place there! 🙂 What an honor!

late_augustChris & Hayley’s Love Story
from Hayley’s perspective

Chris and I re-met after years of knowing who each other were but never having an actual conversation. It wasn’t until after college that Chris and I started talking and immediately fell for one another. I was so nervous to finally go on our first date that I almost cancelled! Right as I was about to back out, the doorbell rang. In true Chris fashion, he greeted me with the biggest smile and hooked me right in. The first text he sent me after dinner was “Theres nothing I don’t like about you, you’re so easy to talk to, when do I get to see you again?” He saw me again the next day, and the day after, and the day after that too and it didn’t take very long for us to fall in love. I loved Chris from the very first day. Holidays, and any day really, are special in our relationship. Chris and I spend a lot of time apart with his work schedule and so knowing we were going to be able to spend Christmas together was a gift in itself. I was SO excited. So excited, in fact, that we decided to put our Christmas tree up in OCTOBER. October 31, to be exact. It was then that Chris knew how much Christmas meant to me, and how much more it meant this year knowing we’d be together.  Chris made it plain and clear that we would not be getting engaged on Christmas, no matter what. “That’s so typical!” he’d say whenever I’d talk about people getting engaged on holidays.  And so my hopes and dreams of maybe having the worlds most magical Christmas of all time, turned into thoughts of maybe having the most magical new years eve of all time. On Christmas we spent the morning with his family and the evening with mine.
Each year my family does secret santa. Its always a $30.00 gift, and it can be ANYTHING. Anything at all. In Chris’ family they wrap each others gifts over and over and over again in as many boxes as they can. Its so fun and funny to watch. So when it came time to unwrap my secret santa gift, I knew Chris was behind it as I started unwrapping box after box after box. “All of this for a $30.00 gift?!” I said, on a video that caught the whole thing. When I finally got to the last box, it was a gift card to victorias secret and a ring pop. I thought Chris was trying to be funny so I said Really Chris, A ring pop? And when I turned around he was on one knee asking me to marry him. After a lot of hugging, and crying, I had forgotten to say yes and he had forgotten to put the ring on my finger. But we pulled it together and we can’t wait to be married!

late_august

Thank you both for an incredible session! I LOVE our time together!!! It is soooo clear how in love you both truly are! Looking forward to seeing you both again. <3 XOXO

downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-2_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-5_webAdorable Hayley!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-6_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-8_webOne of my FAVES!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-9_webLove her style. 🙂
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-12_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-14_webThis is so cute!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-20_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-22_webGorgeous!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-18_web
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-25_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-27_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-29_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-31_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-36_webCute!!!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-37_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-39_webHayley! You are gorgeous!!!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-40_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-42_webLOOK AT THAT RING!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-32_web
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-43_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-44_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-47_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-48_webCute!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-50_webThen off to the beautiful fields of 48 Fields! The sun decided to peak out for a little bit … PERFECT timing!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-51_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-52_webSO cute!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-53_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-55_webAnother favorite!!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-56_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-57_webWow Hayley!!!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-59_webAdorable. <3
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-60_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-63_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-64_webYou both have amazing smiles!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-65_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-66_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-67_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-71_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-73_webPrecious!
downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-76_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-78_webdowntown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-81_web

What an awesome way to end the session with that sky! WOW! downtown_leesburg_virginia_engagement_photographer-68_web

 Thank you BOTH for an awesome evening in Leesburg!!! And thank you Kelly again for opening your venue for us to use. 🙂 We had an amazing time! XOXO

+ COMMENTS

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  1. Kelly Ewell says:
    April 8, 2014 at 4:01 pm

    We were so excited to have you as our inaugural photo shoot! You’re welcome back anytime! 🙂

  2. Brittany Kelland says:
    April 8, 2014 at 4:08 pm

    I love this session and how you captured their love! Your processing is gorgeous – a lot of your images from this post look a little like film! It’s so pretty! And her ring is beautiful!

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