I’m not sure what Jenn and Gilbert love more: coffee or books. Over the course of their relationship, they’ve been known to go on coffee/work dates, where they’d hang out at Starbucks and work or read if they somehow had free time. Jenn has also had a slight obsession with Anne of Green Gables ever since she read the series in elementary school. For those who aren’t familiar with the books, Anne Shirley is a book-loving orphan who is taken in by an elderly brother and sister on Prince Edward Island. There, Anne meets Gilbert Blythe. Although Gilbert starts off on the wrong foot with Anne when he teases her about having red hair, he soon becomes a source of inspiration for her, pushing her to compete with him for top honors in school. Eventually, the two become friends and (after much effort on Gilbert’s part), husband and wife. My family always joked that Jenn was looking for her very own Gilbert, and sure enough, she found him!

With this in mind, we started the day at Taylor Books in downtown Charleston, a combination coffeeshop and bookstore. We took some time wandering around the downtown area and then went over to the State Capitol building. Did you know that the architect who designed the Supreme Court of the United States also designed West Virginia’s State Capitol? Ironically enough, his name was Cass Gilbert. I thought this was an excellent backdrop for Jenn and Gilbert, who bonded over their shared love of the law.

After a quick lunch and change of clothes, we headed over to the Carriage Trail with Jenn’s adorable beagle, Paisley, in tow. This zig-zagging path winds through towering trees that create beautiful dappled light, with views overlooking downtown Charleston. Paisley could not have been happier about this adventure!

Jenn and Gilbert’s wedding theme combines vintage Christmas with rustic touches. In keeping with their color palette, we set out to find the perfect spot to capture the picture that would go on their Save-The-Date.

At the end of the day, Jenn wanted one more shot. She wanted to capture an image of how they actually spend most of their time. So, out came the college sweatshirts,  coffee, and computers. They sat down on the couch, Paisley hopped up there with them, and they began to work as usual. She assures me that this photo will undoubtedly hang on their wall in the future.