We have been blessed to attract some very talented guests to The White Dove Rockotel. Back in October a couple came to stay with us. Their reservation caught our attention because although they were staying for two nights, they asked to change rooms mid-stay. They booked our Experience Suite the first night, our Heart Suite the second. Enthusiastically we were told because of the extremely different design environments of each of our suites they had been unable to pick just one!
So who was this couple? It turns out the couple is Philadelphia-based creative power house Genessa and Ryan. Working under the moniker Her&Eye this duo specialize in personal portfolio and brand representation with a creative style in conceptual photo imagery. We are honored to say that they chose our hotel as the backdrop for the first installment of a highly personal project. You see Genessa and Ryan aren’t merely creative business partners but they are also newly husband and wife. Each year of their marriage they plan to take a trip and do a photo shoot to commemorate themselves and their love. The White Dove Rockotel was chosen for their first wedding anniversary! They’ve agreed to tell us a bit more about themselves, their project and their choice of The White Dove…
TWD: What is it about Woodstock and The Catskills that inspired your trip?
Genessa: Your hotel was actually the inspiration to visit The Catskills for our first anniversary!
TWD: What was it about our hotel that inspired you to stay with us?
Genessa: Everything about your hotel inspired us. It immediately spoke to us on a creative level, something out of the norm. We were looking for a place packed with one of a kind style. When we came across The White Dove Rockotel there was no question it would be the perfect place to create something magical together.
Genessa in Heart
TWD: How did you two meet?
Originally we met through a mutual friend on Myspace. Ryan was willing to stay on Myspace forever (ha,ha) but I convinced him to join the jump to Facebook. We kept in touch through social media. In 2010 I received an odd message from Ryan stating he had lost his phone and would I resend my number. The odd part was I had never sent him my number. This message had me jumping for joy. At the time I lived in Arizona and Ryan was in West Chester PA, a phone request was taking things to the next level! Soon we were texting, and over the year texting turned into phone calls, which turned into Skype (video chatting). Eventually we were Skype-ing everyday, skipping weekend plans to Skype each other and when we fell asleep mid-Skype only to wake up to each others smiling faces, it was time to meet in real life. April of 2011 I came to visit Ryan in Pennsylvania. The trip was everything we'd hoped for. By that August, I had narrowed down my belongings to one suitcase, bought a one-way ticket and moved 2900 miles away from everything I knew. I was terrified but three years later, we were married and looking excitedly into the future together.
TWD: Any thoughts on where your ultimate future anniversary shoot would be?
Genessa: Ultimate Anniversary trip?? We haven't really thought too much about that actually. I think as long as we are traveling, exploring and creating together every anniversary trip will be the ultimate one.
(Editors note: Genessa seemed to find the whole Myspace / social media start to their marriage quite funny, and I’d say it’s pretty ironic since these two still seem to be crushing social media with a combined 93.8K followers on Instagram alone!) 
Follow Genessa and Ryan’s work at
www.genessaandryan.com
instagram.com/ryan_genessa
instagram.com/genessalynn
