Aug 25, 20212 min read

Spring 2021 Cover in Stevensville

BY CANDICE SPECTOR

STYLED SHOOT | PHOTOS BY IN HIS GRACE PHOTOGRAPHY

LOCATION: MARIA'S LOVE POINT, STEVENSVILLE, MD

It wasn’t hard to smile gazing out from Maria’s Love Point Bed & Breakfast on Kent Island toward the calm waters of the Chester River. The water sparkled beneath a warm, sunny sky that would eventually turn soft shades of pink and orange as the sun set on the day of our spring styled shoot.

Photographer Laura Olson worried that the natural light would fade too quickly, but she wasted not a single moment in her quest to capture Kennedy and Jenny Siaw at golden hour on the river view mansion’s east-facing lawn. The fun loving essence of the couple shone through each frame.

“Let your face melt into my face,” Kennedy said to Jenny, smiling. He was trying to relax Jenny and make her laugh. She did. Their bodies synced as they walked the mansion grounds, from the riverside beachhead to an open air dining table that was decorated with earthy-toned blooms from local florist, Kalyn Barrow, of The Flower Shop.

Hannah Dann of Hannah Belle Events styled the table-scape and its accompanying backdrops to reflect an “elegant spring,” defined by soft, subtle and inviting hues she hand-picked to elicit a “comfortable and homey” feeling — a sort of balancing act between fancy and casual, she said.

The ambiance matched Kennedy and Jenny’s easygoing mood. The pair — their love a testament to the power of online dating — met on OkCupid in 2013 when they lived in California. They had their first date in a Starbucks coffee shop and were married exactly one year later on November 22, 2014.

One of Jenny’s biggest regrets, she said, was not getting professional photos of their wedding ceremony. “Being able to do it now was such a great experience, and to have my kids in it made it even better,” Jenny said.

The couple’s children, Ellie, 4, and KJ, 3, liked the photo shoot, too. When the tots weren’t stealing the show on camera, they were eager to play with the cooped chickens that clucked playfully nearby. They could be heard letting out spontaneous giggles and exclamations as they stopped to point out jellyfish in the river and draw with their hands in the sand.

The distractions of nature were welcomed by the family of four and helped create an undoubtedly unforgettable experience for all who played a hand in the collaborative photo shoot. Moments like these are truly the fabric of fairy tales.