“This is Shea Murrell and Brian Shay; otherwise known as “Shay Squared,” because yes, her name will soon be Shea Shay—and she’s a great sport about it. As avid world travelers who live just outside of New York City, they’ve admittedly seen too much of the world to settle for the standard engagement shoot in Central Park. Instead, we opted for a day-trip out of the city and landed in a location seldom visited by most Manhattanites. Traveling two and a half hours upstate to the Catskill Mountains, we found Kaaterskill Falls, the perfect setting for an intimate afternoon hike. We followed Shea and Brian through the warm fall air and lush woods, passing fallen trees, steel bridges and mossy boulders, before arriving at the 260-foot waterfall. Though the falls themselves were at their most tame, the hills beside the water were flooded with overgrown wildflowers, red poppies and the colors of a vivid rainbow beaming through the cascading waters. Shea and Brian played like kids, forgetting the camera, rushing into the waters and popping bottles of champagne to celebrate {and warm up} after braving the crisp waters.” –Anee Atelier

How did you find your photographer?

I was scowering the internet with my mother trying to find the right photographer. It was actually my mom that can across Gina Esposito Photography on Instagram. I was immediately drawn to her work and after reading her and her team’s backgrounds as well as reading reviews online, I reached out right away. I booked with her that same day as I knew she would be a perfect fit. It wasn’t until the day of the engagement shoot we met and Gina and her business partner Sheena couldn’t have been more professional, sweet, fun, creative and INCREDIBLY talented! They went above and beyond our expectations. Brian and I cannot wait to continue working with them!

What are you DIY-ing for your wedding?

Brian is great at graphic design and he will be helping to create our wedding invitations. I plan on making a welcome sign for the lobby and a sign for our signature drinks during cocktail hour. For the ceremony, I also plan to create some banners and a design for our aisle runner as well as an exit toss station. We still have a few other touches we want to create but we are early in our planning phase!

What are you looking forward to the most?

The day of the wedding and spending the day with my new husband and celebrating with the people I love the most! I cannot wait to see everything come together the day of and being able to enjoy all the planning that went into our best day ever. -Shea, the Bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Anee Atelier // Shoot Venue: Kaaterskill Falls // Bride's Attire: Free People // Engagement Ring: Neil Lane // Groom's Attire: J. Crew