“There are no strangers here, only friends that haven’t met” –Â old Irish saying.
On this wintry day it seems perfect to share the very fun (but very cold!) engagement shoot I did with Paula & Mark. This picture says it all since they met at the FastNet Pub . a fabulous authentic Irish pub in Newport, RI during Trivia Night.  The FastNet  Pub has a  rich historic environment and when I saw this sign, I knew I had to incorporate it into the shoot. Paula had walked into the FastNet looking to join a new Trivia group for that night’s trivia contest and Mark’s group was the first at the door! He couldn’t believe his luck when this beautiful woman asked to join his trivia group and then turned out to be dazzling in the science category since she happens to be  a pediatrician! Mark has his own special knowledge base since he is a career officer in the Navy, as well as being a dazzling culinary expert – hence the cooking portion of the engagement shoot. But first, the location not only where they met, but where Mark eventually proposed to Paula. It was trivia night again (of course) and Mark had arranged for many friends and family to be there. Paula was completely shocked when instead of answering a trivia question, Mark popped down on one knee and asked her to marry him!
We then went to the cooking portion of the engagement shoot, and I have to confess I was inspired by one of my favorite scenes in Annie Hall where Diane Keaton and Woody Allen cook lobsters. See the famous scene here: Annie Hall Lobster Scene  I love when Diane Keaton picks up the camera at the end of the scene and takes pictures of Woody holding the lobsters! We recreated it with Mark in this great modern take of that famous scene. Don’t you love the bowtie?
Woody Allen meets American Gothic! 
Thanks for an amazing shoot Paula & Mark and for sharing your amazing love story with me! I’m so pleased to be a part of it now and can’t wait your wedding at another great Maritime location, The New Bedford Whaling Museum. How fun is that going to be!?
