Jocelyn & Ricky
Various Locations in Newport & Middletown, Rhode Island
July 5th, 2018
There's a moment during every engagement session where I find out, instantly, how cool the couple I'm working with is. Normally what happens is I spot a location that would make for great photos or think of a rather difficult pose to pull off and ask the couple if they're up for it.
How they respond to my idea or suggestion reveals a lot about their personalities and, frankly, couples don't get much more fun to be around than Jocelyn and Ricky.
Jocelyn and Ricky chose Newport and Middletown, Rhode Island for their engagement session and it was, without question, one of the most fun times I've ever had with a couple. We rode around Aquidneck Island with both of their moms in the car and had an incredible time laughing about life, love and families.
And when it came time for me to ask them to venture into a fairly odd patch of weeds, sticks, rocks and grass because I thought it would make for cool photos? They went right for it without a doubt.
Yes, this is my kind of couple. And this kind of couple is EXACTLY why I love what I do.
Jocelyn & Ricky's engagement session started much different than most of mine do as the pair met me in Newport and said "Let's take a drive and see what's around" when I asked where they wanted to go.
We didn't have a plan, per se, for locations. The pair knew they wanted to hunt for a spot on Ocean Drive and end the session at Second Beach in Middletown but everything else was wide open. I'll admit. This "go with the flow" approach stressed me out a bit but it shouldn't have. See, it turns out Ocean Drive is amazing!
Our first stop was legitimately on the fly as we saw a beautiful little set of rocks on the side of the rock with a clear view of the ocean. And when we arrived and there was ANOTHER couple getting engagement photos there, I knew we had stumbled upon a secret gem in the City by the Sea.
Just look at that view! Wow!
Jocelyn, Ricky and I spent a good chunk of the first half of their shoot at this location and the moment we left, I had a strong feeling it wouldn't be the only stop along Ocean Road we made.
I was right, of course, as moments later we pulled over on the side of the road for a cool stone wall with an even cooler house behind it. After that, we made our way toward the Portuguese Discovery Monument and Brenton Point State Park and, again, the scenery was simply stunning.
As fun as the trip through Ocean Drive was, I could tell Jocelyn and Ricky were most looking forward to our last stop at Second Beach. Before we got there, though, the pair needed to change into their final outfits in the car and the break in action allowed me a moment to spot an incredible gem of a location ... right across the street.
I LOVED this location from the moment I laid eyes on it and knew it would be an amazing place to throw this couple into the middle of the grass and trees and, boy, was I right.
The photos in this little patch of nature proved to be MY favorite of the day but we still had work to do as Jocelyn and Ricky were eager to get to the beach and I can't say I blamed them.
Thanks to our little detour across the street, we arrived at the beach right at the perfect time as the light was incredible and the future bride and groom beaming with excitement over how nice the water was and how great everything looked.
All in all, by the time Jocelyn, Ricky and I called it a night and headed back in the car to get to our original meet-up spot, I could tell how excited they were at the fun we had and know, for a fact, that their wedding next September is going to be a non-stop blast.
Jocelyn and Ricky are an amazing couple to be around and I can't wait for their wedding day. Based on their engagement session alone, I know we're in for something truly special.
And, who knows, maybe there's a random patch of grass and trees across from their ceremony location too.
Guess we'll see next year ...
-PJS
Tags: Newport Engagement Photos, Rhode Island Engagement Sessions, Newport, Paul J. Spetrini Photography