Bloom : Atlanta Cozy Home Engagement Session

Starting the summer in our home country of Indonesia gets us thinking about the concept of “home”. As two individuals who moved to a completely different country in our teens, it’s definitely a fluid concept.

Indonesia still feels like home in some ways: the crazy hustle and bustle life feels familiar – and strangely appealing for its electrifying energy – a stark contrast to the quiet, peaceful American suburbia life we’ve lived over the last two decades.

Then there’s the food. Don’t get us started with The Food. People say that food has the power of bringing the nostalgic in you, and boy are they right. The taste and smell of home in form of a simple white rice + fried chicken + raw veggies + spicy shrimp-paste sambal. Honestly, there is nothing better under the sun.

Then the convenience. Your first instinct may equate America, with its abundance, to convenience. What with all automatic appliances (did you know that dishwashers and laundry dryers are not staple items in most parts of the world?) and self-service everything. But therein lies the “issue”: you do everything yourselves. Whereas in Indonesia, you outsource EVERYTHING – thanks to its considerably cheap labors and next-level innovations. Say you are planning a dinner date at home. Just with your mobile phone at hand, you can get dinner and desserts (from multiple restaurants) delivered to your front door, call a hairstylist to style your hair (think at-home Drybar), throw in a call-in make up artist if you’re feeling fancy, get someone to pick up your dirty laundry (to be delivered back in 6 hours already washed, ironed, folded) and maybe even call a company to clean the entire house to impress said date!

Like we said, next level.

But at the end of the day, having been residents of two very different countries make it difficult to say where our actual “home” is. Our final conclusion is this: Home is wherever you and your Chosen One decide to build your home. Both the physical brick-and-mortar home and the proverbial “home” home. Let it be a place to bloom together, wherever you decide to plant your seeds and deepen your roots.

This is why Jess and Jon’s story resonates with us. She is from Hawaii. He is from the Midwest. But they, too, chose Atlanta, GA – with all its strengths and weaknesses – to call “home”. This is an important decision and chapter in their story, one that we are privileged to witness and capture in their engagement session.

We started at their beautiful purple home in the historic Westside district, which also was where Jon proposed to Jess! Then went to a few “Atlanta” classic landmarks like The Fox Theatre and Georgian Terrace Hotel. After a quick stop at a charming garden in front of Jess’ office, we ended at Piedmont Park – which is in the same vicinity as the venue for their August 2019 wedding.

Jess and Jon, thanks for letting us translate your story visually. We can’t wait to shoot your wedding!