This PPG Paints Arena engagement session was inspired by how this sweet couple officially met! It was a hockey night in Pittsburgh…one that ended with Laura and Justin hitting it off faster than the puck hit the ice. Little did Laura know that she’d be saying “Yes!” to Justin following a Pens game just two years later. To document the momentous time, the two opted for a laid-back downtown Pittsburgh photo shoot. Of course they had to kick it off where it all began, resulting in darling images outside of the Pens’ home ice with the pair wearing the biggest smiles and fancy attire. #GOALS. The rest of their session was infused with iconic city vibes and settings that were perfectly Pittsburgh in the sweetest yet most subtle ways. From the streets of downtown to the rooftops with those skyline views, Kaitlin Powell Photography gave a whole new meaning to “shoots and scores” with these light-hearted photos. They’re all for your viewing pleasure below!
About the Couple
We went to undergrad together at Allegheny College, but never spoke to each other while we were there. We (formally) met in December 2016 at a Pens game. I went to a game with my friend, Nicole, after I had returned home from a travel nursing assignment in Boston. The Pens were playing the Boston Bruins so I felt it was fitting to go to that game. Nicole and I bought tickets on Stub Hub, and they just so happened to be in the same section where Justin and his friend, Mike, were sitting. Mike suggested that Justin talk to us at one point during the game, and Justin told Mike that he and I went to college together. Mike asked him for my name and found me on Facebook (semi-creepy haha) and set up a rendezvous for us after the game was over. Justin and I hit it off there and then we eventually went out on a real date the following week.
We got engaged following another Pens game in December 2018. The Pens were playing the Bruins again two years to the date after we initially met, and Justin suggested we go to the game since it was so coincidental that they were playing the same team on the same date two years later. Justin had secretly set up a proposal at his brother’s house and convinced me that we had to stop there after the game to pick up some stuff. I was waiting in the car for about 10 minutes when he called me from inside the house and asked me to come in and see his brother’s Christmas decorations. I was annoyed because we were supposed to be meeting up with my friend after the game and we were already late. Once I got inside of the house, I saw that Justin had set up an elaborate trail of candles and flowers through the house, along with some clues that eventually led me to him and he proposed! His brother and sister-in-law recorded the whole thing from outside of the kitchen windows, which I loved because I was in such shock at the time that it’s enjoyable to re-watch!
About the Session
From the photographer…
Since they met at PPG Paints Arena, we did photos outside of the venue. They wanted classic Pittsburgh touches in the rest of the session, so we roamed around downtown and on the rooftops. They are a classy and laid back fun couple!
