Tommy & Marlayna's Engagement Photos at Seton Hill University
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of photographing one of my favorite surprises yet: Tommy proposing to Marlayna on the golf course back in May. I've known both of them since college, so getting to be part of that moment was already incredibly special. A few months later, they asked me to take their engagement photos for their wedding website, save the dates, and invitations, and I was more than happy to get behind the camera for them again.
They wanted to take their photos at Seton Hill University, where they first met. As someone who also went to Seton Hill and now works there, I obviously spend a lot of time on campus. But there's something different about walking around those same familiar places with the friends you used to spend your college days with. Instead of rushing between meetings or thinking about my workday, I got to spend a quiet morning with two people who have been part of my life for years, photographing them in the place where their story began.
Back on Campus, This Time Engaged
We spent about an hour and a half walking around campus, stopping at different locations and getting a variety of photos for them to choose from. Seton Hill has so many beautiful spots for photographs, and I wanted to make sure they had plenty of options for whatever they might need throughout the wedding planning process. And, of course, I overshot. As I do best.
I know taking more photos means more time sorting through everything and editing afterward, but I genuinely enjoy giving people options. Especially for something like engagement photos, where the images might end up on a wedding website, save the dates, invitations, or as their phone background, or on their Instagram story, or even framed in their home. I always think about what I would want if I were on the other side of the camera, and personally, I'd rather have too many good photos to choose from than wish we'd taken a few more.
The nice thing about photographing friends is that there's already a level of comfort there. We could walk around, catch up, joke with each other, and take photos along the way. It felt less like a formal photo session and more like spending time together and catching up real quick after a month, just with me occasionally telling them where to stand/look or asking them to do something one more time because I wanted another angle.
Watching Their Story Grow
One of the things I've appreciated most about knowing Tommy and Marlayna is getting to watch their relationship grow over the years. I knew them as college students, long before engagements and weddings were part of the conversation, and now I get to photograph these milestones as they prepare for their next chapter together. Beyond their relationship, Tommy and Marlayna are two of the kindest and most inclusive people I know. They're fun to be around, always make others feel welcome, and somehow manage to make being a third wheel enjoyable. A rare accomplishment, honestly. They are also some of my friends who have been incredibly supportive of me, my photography, and my creative projects over the years, and I'm so grateful to have friends like them in my life.
I've always admired how they balance being a couple while still being their own people. They love and support one another without losing their individual personalities, friendships, and interests. I'm fortunate to have quite a few friends in genuinely healthy, happy relationships, and I think there's something really valuable about being surrounded by examples of the kind of love and partnership I'd want for myself someday.
They even told me they read my blog, which was both incredibly sweet and a reminder that maybe people actually do read the things I put on the internet.
(Hi Tommy and Marlayna!)
A Few Unexpected Campus Visitors
Naturally, no photo session with me would be complete without getting distracted by some wildlife along the way. While we were walking around campus, we spotted a few little creatures that I couldn't resist photographing. There was a hawk perched atop the Administration Building, which I like to think of as Seton Hill's actual griffin keeping watch over campus. We also came across a jumping frog and a caterpillar hanging out on a leaf.
Of course, I had to stop for a few quick photos. I can be in the middle of an engagement session and still find time to photograph a bird or something crawling around in the grass. Apparently, I have a hard time turning off that part of my brain. I love that these little encounters have become part of the experience of spending time with me and my camera. The engagement photos were obviously the priority, but the unexpected things we noticed along the way are part of what made the morning memorable, too.
More Than Just Engagement Photos
I've written before about how meaningful it is to photograph important moments for people I already love. Just recently, I reflected on documenting so many milestones leading up to Kait and Riley's wedding, from their proposal to the bachelorette trip and bridal shower. Now, getting to photograph Tommy and Marlayna's proposal a few months ago and now engagement session has reminded me again how special it is to document multiple chapters of the same story. These aren't just clients whose photos I take and deliver. They're friends whose lives I'm lucky enough to be part of, whether or not I have a camera in my hands.
It's a reminder of how much our friendships have grown since college. We used to spend time on campus because that's where our everyday lives happened. Now, we're returning to those same places for engagements, weddings, and other milestones that once felt so far away. And while I see Seton Hill nearly every weekday, getting to experience it again with friends who were such a big part of my time there made me appreciate it in a different way. I'm grateful that they asked me to take these photos, but even more grateful that I get to call them my friends. Their relationship has been such a beautiful thing to watch grow, and I'm excited to see what comes next for them.