Ponder this for a sec: you’re already planning a vacation for this spring, you’re recently engaged (or maybe you will be during the upcoming holidays!) and you’re also planning to do an engagement session. While a three-day e-sesh might seem a bit extravagant—why not use your spring getaway as an engagement photo opp? IMO, best. idea. ever. If you need convincing, take a moment to scroll through these captures by KT Merry of the sweetest couple who did just that, along the Amalfi Coast, no less. Every uber chic detail by the lovely Federica Beni is perfetto… it’s all the proof you need.
From the Bride… Our Love Story: “Love comes to you just at the right time. The time you never thought it would have.” Edmund and I met through a mutual friend on a night-out in the bustling city of Hong Kong. From there we started dating and fell in love incredibly quickly. He was a breath of fresh air, yet it felt like we had already known each other forever. We fearlessly booked a three-week trip to New York, Mexico and Cuba just two months after we met! I thought “if love finds you, just go with it. Everything else will work itself out”. After our first adventure together, we knew that our love would last a lifetime… We shared our love for travel and gourmet-tasting and were lucky to explore nine cities across the world in a year and half’s time, from sunset gazing in Bali, riding up the air over the Twelve Apostles, to sipping mojitos in Old Havana, Cuba. “He wanted to show me the world and I truly felt like the luckiest girl in the world…”
It was a Sunday evening in May, the standard day of the week when my family all gathered together over dinner in one place. Little did I know there was a secret plan going on among Edmund and my family. In the middle of dinner, I was asked to go up to the storage house on the rooftop to look for a wine. When I got upstairs, I saw Edmund holding a bouquet of flowers. He told me to close my eyes, and when I opened them, he was down on one knee with the most beautiful ring that he had been secretly designing. My heart melted and we both started to cry. I loved the way he proposed, it was so sweet, natural and genuine, yet still managed to catch me by surprise! I am truly thankful for being able to share this special moment with my family. We couldn’t wait to start planning what’s next to come!
Our Amalfi Engagement Session “Everyday is a new horizon I can’t wait to discover with you.” Every little girl dreams about her wedding, I think. Mine was Italy, with castle-like architecture, frescoed walls and breathtaking views. Realizing that such a destination wedding would be too far for our guests, we decided to make it a dream come true with an elopement-styled engagement shoot at the most picturesque Amalfi Coast. Besides, is there anything better than a destination engagement session which can perfectly capture the memories of an incredible trip exploring the Amalfi Coast?
After months of planning, we flew to Italy and embarked on a three-day engagement photoshoot in the Amalfi Coast with our photographers KT Merry and Chad Keffer and our planner Frederica from Honey and Cinnamon. Our first day started in the magical Il San Pietro in Positano where I was pampered by my amazing makeup artist Emily Tucker. We stepped into a true dream world at Il San Pietro, shooting around its colorful terrace overlooking the bay of Positano. We continued exploring the resort at its private beach where we played in the water and enjoyed the sun-kissed beauty all around us.
We decided to incorporate one of our favorite activities together into this engagement session and we could not be happier we did! In the late afternoon, we aboard a lovely turquoise-colored private boat with our photographers, KT and Chad, for a romantic sunset sail exploring the rugged coastline of the Mediterranean Sea. Romance was definitely in the air… We spent a few hours on the water soaking up the beautiful Italian sun and toasted our future with glasses of champagne while KT captured the special moments. It was a perfect day to celebrate our love! We then decided to take an easy stroll around the colorful town of Positano. We laughed, we kissed, we danced in the streets… We couldn’t have had a more fun, romantic and adventurous day!
To further capture our adventurous spirit as a couple, KT came up with a brilliant idea of us jumping in the blue water. I was honestly a little hesitant at first but Edmund took my hand saying “3…2…1…!” We couldn’t be happier we did it! On the last day, my Italian wedding dream turned into a reality when we shot at the most stunning Villa Cimbrone. A place that I had always dreamed of seeing with my eyes one day…We woke up at 5 a.m. to catch the sunrise at the villa’s Terrazza dell’Infinito, overlooking the Gulf of Salerno. It was just us there… it felt like time had stopped, where the sky and the sea seemed to blend together stretching out to infinity in shades of blue.
We planned the itinerary and styled the entire three-day shoot including multiple gowns and outfit changes, hair and makeup and beautiful floral design. I wore multiple gowns from designers including Marchesa and Liz Martinez, paired with shoes from Manolo Blahnik, a custom-made lace veil, and hair accessories from Jennifer Behr and Liv Hart. Edmund wore custom-made suits from his favorite tailor in Hong Kong.
As for the color palette, we chose to go with a mix of old world charm, modern touches and the softest, prettiest pastel hues set against the backdrop of an Italian Villa. The blush-toned florals designed by La Fleurdu Jour were the perfect flowers to go along with the romantic theme. Driving a vintage car along the Amalfi Coast has always been Edmund’s dream. Our planner Frederica and floral designer helped make this dream come true by putting together the best ingredients for a stylish and elegant honeymoon-inspired car shoot: a light-blue vintage convertible, a gorgeous car garland, and the perfect sign “Oggi Sposi”. We cruised along the town of Ravello while enjoying unforgettable views of the Amalfi. There was no better way to wrap up our three-day shoot.
A lot of research and preparation was done for this once-in-a-lifetime engagement photoshoot. But all the emails and Skype calls proved fruitful. The entire session came together perfectly and created unforgettable memories to start our lives together, we are blessed to have all these precious moments captured so naturally and beautifully by our photographer KT. She captured not only our love and spirit, but the beauty of the Amalfi. We still pinch ourselves every time we think about our days so wonderfully well-spent in the Amalfi Coast!
Photography: KT Merry Photography | Event Planning: Federica Beni | Floral Design: La Fleur Du Jour | Cake: Rose Cakes | Hair & Makeup: Emily Artistry | Paper Goods: Paper Birch Designs