A Fun, Bright Inspired Wedding at The Lounsbury House

Constance Schiano Photography Ridgefield, CT USA lesbian gay queer couple wedding elopement Dancing With Her online magazine (1)

Laughter filled the air at The Lounsbury House as real couple Rachel & Amy showcased their love story. I wanted to showcase a couple that I knew would make the shoot beam with their genuine care for each other. Each detail was handpicked to make a statement and showcase the couple’s bright demeanor. I feel like this shoot perfectly displays how a bright wedding palette doesn’t have to be daunting, but can actually frame the love and light in a beautiful relationship perfectly. Between the bright colors, the love, the laughter, you could see the day transformed into elegance and see how inspiring their love is.

Amy & Rachel, how did you meet?

We have actually worked together for most of our relationship and that’s where we met. The funny thing is we went to high school together, worked in the same shopping plaza, and had many mutual friends before we ultimately met while working at the grocery store.

We both agree that the experience of buying our first home contains most of our most precious memories. We own a historic home, and when we put the offer in, Amy hadn’t even seen it.

R: We worked pretty different schedules when we were buying the house, so sometimes we would go separately with our realtor to showings. I found the house on one of my days out, and I fell in love. I quickly Facetimed Amy to give her the Facetime tour, and what happens? My phone dies halfway through. After my phone died, my realtor and I found a flooded basement. Stone basements are so fun, but even after telling Amy that she still trusted me enough to put in an offer from the realtor’s phone then.

A: My favorite memory was the moments following signing the closing papers when we got to walk around our home for the first time. It didn’t matter that we desperately wanted to shower, and neither of the bathrooms was clean. It didn’t matter that our mattress was on the floor because our box spring didn’t fit up the stairs and, it didn’t matter that we didn’t know where the ‘kitchen utensil’ box was because this was ours.

What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome together?

We have a bit of a language barrier, not in the literal sense but in the way that we both understand life differently. Throughout our relationship, we have worked a lot on communication and maintaining an open and honest dialogue. We’ve gotten a lot better at understanding each other’s dialects, but we’re continually learning.

Tell us your favorite thing about one another.

A: Rachel never forgets to enjoy every moment. Good or bad, she is always there to remind you that no matter what, everything will be okay. For example, when there’s a major plumbing problem in the house the night before Thanksgiving, don’t worry; she already figured out the change of venue.

R: Amy can make anyone smile, anytime. She’s a kindness chameleon. I knew this the moment I fell in love with her. Social anxiety makes going to certain events for me particularly difficult, and the day I knew I was in love with Amy, we were due to leave the apartment for a party, and I was stressed about something- who knows what! Suddenly, I looked up and stood on the stairs, with a mouth full of vanilla ice cream, holding the half-gallon, and rapping to me verbatim, Eminem. She knew at that moment that I needed a goofy distraction, but she also always knows when you just need a hug.

What’s in the future for you both?

We are absolutely looking forward to filling the other bedrooms in our home with little ones. Other than that, we want to travel to a long list of places, continue to laugh until our sides hurt, and yes, I know this is cliche, but we fall more in love with each other every day.

Is there anything else that you would like to add?

Amy would say, “Marry your best friend. It makes all the scary things feel a whole lot better.”

Rachel thinks you should find your ‘big chip’ love. Big chip love is when you share a bag of chips, passing it back and forth, right? Next thing you know, YOU get a big chip, a perfect one the size of your face, or one that’s giant even though it’s folded in half. And you look over to see your love cheering you on, not jealous of your chip, but so happy that you get to enjoy something so small yet so happy.