Ryanne and Meredith hired me to photograph their intimate elopement in September and, as part of their package, they also received an adventure session! They used this session to get engagement photos done at the Roanoke Star (otherwise known as Mill Mountain Star).
Wait, what’s an adventure session?
An adventure session is whatever you want it to be! It’s usually an engagement session, but it can also be an anniversary session, a day-before or day-after photo session that happens prior to or following your elopement, or a couple session. This type of session usually involves going to an epic location for amazing photos and, as it’s mentioned in the name, involves some element of adventure.
Adventure is completely subjective and could mean something different to each person. An adventure session to you could mean hiking, climbing, or braving the cold (or heat!) or it could entail visiting a place you’ve never been before or experiencing something you’ve never done before.
Ryanne and Meredith’s Roanoke Star Engagement Session
Ryanne (she/her) and Meredith (she/her) have been together for two years and they’re both certain that they’ve only spent one week apart during those two years. The pair met on Tinder and talked for about a week before they both knew that they were meant to be together. Ryanne proposed to Meredith last year on their vacation to Miramar Beach in Florida. They had a date planned on the beach around sunset and Ryanne wrote “Will you marry me?” in the sand and Meredith wrote in the sand her response: yes! Meredith loves that Ryanne always sees the positive side of things, even when things can be frustrating. Ryanne loves how Meredith can always make her laugh and feel happy.
What vibe did Ryanne and Meredith want for their Roanoke Star engagement session?
Ryanne and Meredith were eager to have their engagement session at the Roanoke Star. However, instead of trying to get photos with the star or with the surrounding mountain view, they really were looking for more of a “woodsy” feel to their session. When I asked about rain and how they’d feel about sticking it out, they were excited and said that they’d actually prefer it if it was a little foggy. With that in mind, I knew that a sunrise session at the Roanoke Star was going to be our best bet for 1.) securing a location that wasn’t packed with tourists and 2.) getting that foggy, woodsy vibe that they were looking for.
They also had a few specific image requests like photos with their dog, Festus, and a photo of Ryanne kissing Meredith’s cheek, as it’s their “go to” pose; pictures that captured their love; and to somehow incorporate paper airplanes in their session. For context, as I came to learn, their first “official” date was at a local Mexican restaurant and this is where an important tradition for Ryanne and Meredith would start. At the end of dinner, when Ryanne got the check, she folded the check into a paper airplane out of nervousness. Meredith thought this was so charming and cute and now, their house is full of paper airplanes from the many dates they’ve been on over the years.
With all of these photo requests and vibes in mind, I got to work and, not to toot my own horn, but I definitely checked off all the boxes! 😉
What type of music was used for this Roanoke Star engagement session?
First, let me start by prefacing that creating playlists is a huge part of my adventure session experience! Each playlist is specifically curated for each adventure session and, as I’m making them, I aim to keep the playlist upbeat and fun so that my couples feel their absolute best during their session. This playlist is curated based on my couples favorite songs, artists, and bands. My goal is to make my couples feel confident and comfortable in front of the camera and have found that adding music for these sessions really helps to enhance the overall vibe of the session.
For Meredith and Ryanne, they recommended songs like Golden Hour by JVKE, Unholy by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, and HANDSOMER (Remis) by Russ (Feat. Ktlyn). They also added they loved “newer lesbian icon artists” like Ash Nikko so I was sure to add Slumber Party (feat. Princess Nokia) and other hits that I thought would mesh well with the playlist like I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend by girl in red, everything by Kehlani, Coastin’ by Victoria Monét, and I Like That by Janelle Monáe. It ended up being a super fun playlist!
Testimonials
Meredith and Ryanne’s Roanoke Star engagement session was so fun! I love waking up early if it means I get to hang out with two incredible people like them, pet a sweet dog, and get out in nature to take beautiful photos. Here’s what Meredith and Ryanne had to say about our time together:
“Our experience with Cameron Warren Photography from start to finish was so easy! Cameron matched our silly vibe and gave directions well. She helped us plan through everything, through any ups and downs, and she’s always been open to all of our suggestions. We loved how willing she was to work with our pup, Festus, and how she helped make sure everything was in the right place for our engagement session. The photos came out perfect! We couldn’t stop smiling and Cameron was just so great with our dog; he’s never looked more dapper. We can’t wait for her to photograph our wedding!” – Ryanne (she/her) and Meredith (she/her)
If you’re planning to elope in Virginia, I’d love to be your photographer and capture your special day! Fill out an inquiry form to get started or check out my pricing to learn more about my philosophy, practice, and packages.
