Alex + Zack's Christmastime Sylva Engagement Shoot

I probably look as giddy as Alex and Zack do in the picture above because tomorrow is my first wedding of the season! Even better than that, its this sweet couple's big day. Alex and Zack booked me as their wedding photographer almost a year ago (way to plan ahead!), 6 months later I did their engagement shoot and now another 6 months later I finally get to shoot their wedding in Franklin, NC. And if tomorrow goes anything like our engagement shoot, it will be full of laughter and love. 

The morning of our December engagement shoot dawned the only cold day of the month - a balmy 20 degrees even in the rising sunshine. I was worried that we would all be too uncomfortable to be able to capture true smiles, but these two were troopers, seemingly warming each other up with their brilliant gazes at each other. 

These two are true world travelers, trotting the globe together and even spending a year in New Zealand, but in the end they wanted to return to a familiar place for their engagement photos. As Zack's grandfather supplied the beautiful Christmas trees adorning the lawn of the Jackson County Courthouse, Downtown Sylva seemed like the perfect place, alluding to hometowns, family and whimsy. 

True adventurers, Alex and Zack aren't afraid to take life head-on; buying a house, traveling the country and the globe, starting a business and now getting married all in one year! But when talking to them, it all comes down to the little things that they love most about each other. Alex "loves how kind and easygoing Zack is. [She] also loves his adventurous spirit and sense of humor that he saves for those closest to him." Zack "loves how Alex loves unconditionally, loves her intelligence and sense of humor, her willingness to try new things and her thoughtfulness." 

Even with their big dreams, these two complementary people love nothing more than spending a Saturday morning drinking coffee and exploring the city. As I'm packing my camera bags for tomorrow, I'm thinking that I love nothing more than spending a Saturday capturing the love of a couple for each other and their family as they begin a new chapter together.