Shelli & Chris's dear engagement

I feel a little spoilt this week with yet another adorable shoot to share featuring our Nadinoo wears. This time it's the beautiful engagement shoot of Shelli + Chris shot by their dear friend Scott Chester in a stunning railroad museum.

One of the great perks of my jobs is getting to know lovely ladies like Shelli who has been a dear Nadinoo customer for some time. I have enjoyed so many emails chin wagging with her so it was a treat to help choose which Nadinoo frocks she could wear on the shoot.
The happy couple were also kind enough to answer a few nosey questions I had on how they met and why they are so smitten with each other. I hope they help bring these images to life and give you a glimpse into their world.

From our emails I already feel like I know you but could you introduce yourself and Chris and tell us a little about what you do?
Well I am a freelance photographer and photo editor and Chris is a software engineer. It sounds like night and day I know, but we actually have a lot in common. It is also  good to have the balance.

You look like you both have such a sweet friendship, how did you both meet?

We met and were friends long long before we dated. We used to live in the same boring town as teenagers – we were both little hellraisers in our own way. I am a couple years older than Chris so I remember driving him around before he had a license. I was the indie music snob and he was this shy little skater whose mom had a fridge magnet that said “cats rule the world.” I remember that magnet so well.  I escaped to upstate New York as soon as I could get away, then moved to Scotland for several years. So we fell out of touch as friends you could say.

We met up again years later at a friends house when I was visiting and hatched a plan to go to the wedding of another old friend in St Petersburg, Florida, which involved a 16 hour road trip. It was really the beginning of everything, that road trip. We stopped to take photos, hit up roadside stands, goofed off, saw the mermaids in Weeki Wachee and sort of fell in love along the way. It was also the beginning of a really hokey souvenir collection.

From all the laughter in the photos I can see you both have a great sense of humor, what makes you both laugh?

Films, books, and I guess the ridiculousness of life and people. I have always been a little on the sarcastic side and Chris could say the same.  I  think we both were  moved around so much as kids, having a sense of humor was a coping strategy no doubt it is for sure a trait we share.

How did you decide you wanted to spend the rest of your lives together, was there a proposal?

I think I knew by the time we got home from Florida after that first trip. We were together a few years before the proposal -  we took a 10 day trip to Paris for Christmas. After a lovely dinner, Chris really wanted to go put our padlock on the Pont des Arts bridge even though the weather was really dreadful and it was late. So we navigated through the freezing rain in the dark over to the bridge. I put the lock on, snapped a couple photos and there in the freezing rain, Chris proposed to me at midnight on Christmas Eve. I was not expecting it to say the least!  That night we went straight over to the Latin Quarter and celebrated in a happy corny little Greek restaurant. Best Christmas ever.  

 I loved the location! It looked like a photographers play ground, can you tell us a little about it and if there was any story in mind?

A very quiet railroad museum only about 20 minutes from where we live, I owe the photographer, Scott, for finding it. Once he mentioned it we were so sold on the idea. So much of our life together is about travel. We are travelling fools and our wedding required quite a bit of travel on everyone’s parts (trains, planes, automobiles, oh and boats) so it seemed entirely appropriate.

 As a photographer, how was it being on the other side of the lens?

Terrible! So awkward and embarrassing! Actually it wasn’t too bad because the photographer is a friend of ours, and we had a good time goofing around. I am still shocked he drove his lovingly restored vintage Thunderbird into a field for us, I was holding my breath when he jumped the curb, thinking “please don’t hurt the car”.

Did you have a favorite part of the shoot or photo that you feel especially proud of?

I think I loved the mailroom car quite a bit, I wish I could pack it up and take it home, make it a playhouse or something. There were hooks           hanging from the top on rails I just wanted to hop on them and fly down the car, but I fear they may have been just a tad unstable.

Finally a huge congratulations on getting married this Summer, can you give us a little glimpse into what your wedding was like?

The wedding was in Positano and I really love that place so much, it killed me to leave. The whole thing was was amazing, and in true Chris and Shelli fashion, not exactly what was planned! 

Photography by Scott Chester

Shelli wearing her Fleur's Penna dress and Pixie's Petal dress (Final pieces!)