Bucks Lake Engagement Photographer: Gabby+ Jerrod
Gabby + Jerrod
Emma and I have known Gabby and Jerrod for many years as we have all worked for the same non-profit at one time or another and when they chose us as their photographers we were so excited! They are very funny and easygoing people, this makes them both a joy and a pleasure to work with because they make it so fun! It is so easy to be our fully authentic selves when we are around them, geeky references, dad jokes, and all!
Gabby and Jerrod both wrote the most beautiful responses in their questionnaires. Emma and I were taken aback by the sweetness and utter devotion they have to one another and we are overjoyed to be able to share them with all of you…
Their story begins, as with many of their other tales, with humor. Gabby had been dating a friend of Jerrod’s in high school. This boyfriend had been keeping her close to the vest so to speak and since he and Jerrod went to different schools at the time, Jerrod playfully decided that Gabby didn’t exist and the joke was born. One day, Jerrod decided to reach out to the “imaginary” Gabby on Xfire (they’ve really dated themselves here with that callback!) to tell her she did not, in fact, exist. Gabby, never one to be one-upped, began (in her words) to ruthlessly cyberbully and tease him. When they did eventually meet in person, they became fast friends and even when her relationship fizzled out with the boyfriend, Gabby still came out on top with a best friend, Jerrod. In Gabby’s words, “We were (and still are) best friends for twelve years before we decided to date. That’s the best part, we’re best friends who are pledging to be best friends forever.”
Time passed and they only grew closer. They had begun a tradition that they affectionately called “Fishing Fridays.” As time went on, they began staying out later and later, having long conversations where they opened up to one another while stargazing under our beautiful Northern California skies. This is the point in time when Jerrod marks the beginning of their relationship. However, it wasn’t until his brother’s wedding that he began introducing Gabrielle as his girlfriend to everyone. In classic Gabby fashion, she had a witty retort proclaiming that this was news to her since he hadn’t asked her yet! Jerrod wasted almost no time in making it “official” the very next day.
Their proposal story unfolded beautifully at the Garden of Lights at Turtle Bay in Redding. If you, dear readers, are unfamiliar with this event I would highly encourage you to detour over to Google and check out the image results a search turns up. It is a veritable WONDERLAND of lights and definitely set the scene for a timeless proposal. After wandering around and feasting their eyes on all there is to see, Jerrod pulled Gabby to the side to ask if she would sit with him a while on a private bench. He then asked their friend, Jessie, who had come along if he would take their picture; he seized this moment to completely surprise Gabby by getting down on one knee to ask, his voice breaking with emotion, if she would be his partner forever and (now to use Jerrod’s wonderful words) “...she said yes. What a sucker.” 😂
When asked about what their favorite activities to do together were, they hilariously and so sweetly had the same answer- we are best friends, we like doing literally everything together! But, when pressed, they also BOTH said they would choose late-night fishing together where they can be outside and talk to each other for hours and hours.
There are a million little ways that they express their love for one another from picking wildflowers along the side of the road because he knows it will make her smile to making sure the house is warm when he gets home because she knows the cold weather makes him feel a little down. These small expressions are what really matters in the long run; they are always looking for ways to make one another feel seen and loved. It is often not the Grand Gestures that are the secret to lasting love, but the small pockets of care that we can grant to each other that, even in their smallness, shout to the world, “I LOVE THIS PERSON!”
When it came time to plan their engagement session, being deep in nature was a must. We all met up one chilly morning at Buck’s Lake just before a storm was due to break and welcome in autumn properly. The rain was much anticipated as there had been fires in the area and rain has a wonderful way of washing away the smoky air and making things new again. We were so happy to find that rain waiting for us to complete our session before it began. The weather was perfection; cool, clear, with a little haze from the fires- almost exactly the kind of weather we hope for. Gabby and Jerrod arrived ready to jump right in and, after discussing options for where to begin, we opted for a little ways down the road where we could see the dam and they could fish a spell. While they got to casting, we struck up conversation, just making jokes and sharing funny memories from work. Emma and I told them about our recent adventure to Buck’s Lake for a wedding we captured over the summer and had them laughing about our near miss with a bear and nearly freezing our booties off when the temperatures dipped well into the low 20-30’s that night (we really should have a separate blog just to regale you all with tales of our Wedding Adventures!) Buck’s Lake is also special to Jerrod who knew his way around the lake and helped show us some new places to take photographs as well as to Gabby who would go to Buck’s as a kid.
As time went on, we hardly noticed the hours fly by as we laughed and enjoyed to flora and fauna; Gabby was especially taken with all of the woodland creatures we encountered, particularly all of the cute little chipmunks/ground squirrels who were curious as to what we were doing in their yard! We went to a few different places along the lake including the dam, Indian Rock Beach, and a separate hidden lake. At each location, the couple seemed to grow more relaxed while Emma clicked away and I offered one liners and other comic relief. Also, can we talk about Jerrod’s smize?! This man became more and more comfortable in front of the camera as the day wore on and we were swooning over his intense gaze! Nothing, however, compared to the way these two looked at each other. When Jerrod would stare into Gabby’s eyes or when Gabby would look up lovingly into Jarrod’s face, everything shifted. Because, at the end of the day, that is all they really need– just each other. Emma and I love these moments when we can just fade into the background and let the couple before us just be present with one another, that is when some of the best magic happens in photography. And sometimes, those incredible moments happen at a secret little lake in the mountains. I’ll let their images tell the rest of the story from here…
Gabby and Jerrod, thank you for letting us go on this adventure with you both! We cannot wait to capture the next chapter at your wedding!
