Daniel and I met at Grove City College, just north of Pittsburgh, PA. We were in the same friend group but never were interested in each other more than friends. We even had a computer class together and sat next to each other. He would always do something to make me laugh and the teacher would pause class to ask me what was so funny. I went to what seems like all of Dan’s soccer games because of how many friends I had on the team. I also became best friends with the sweetheart of his fraternity, which meant more time spent with her around Dan and his friends. Dan graduated a year before me and moved back to Houston. Once I graduated, I moved back to New Hampshire. I quickly moved back to Pittsburgh, PA to live with my best friends from college who were conveniently dating/engaged to Dan’s best friends from college. We reconnected at our friends’ wedding last summer and it’s been a happy adventure ever since!
My advice would be to remember your favorite things about each other and try to incorporate all the weird, silly, and goofy things into your photos. (At least that worked for us) 😛
How many happy proposal stories do you hear about the first word coming out of the girl’s mouth is “No…?” Those were the first words I could speak – as in: “no, is this really happening right now? no way!” Dan proposed to me on June 29th, just two days before my 25th birthday. He flew up to spend my birthday weekend together. His parents and brother also were in town to visit Dan’s grandparents. We had just finished lunch with his family and he asked if I wanted to go check the mail? I automatically said of course! I don’t want your grandparents to have to walk down there to get it! We started walking to the mailbox and when we came to a lattice arbor in their garden with flowers growing up it Dan told me he wanted to take a picture of me. This was nothing out of the ordinary. I told him I did not want just a picture of me taken and he said well, fine just turn around and act like your walking through the garden. Great, I said. No problem. I turn around and start mushing in the mud making it look like I was walking. I waited a little while and when I turned around Dan was on his knee with the ring out and he asked me to marry him. I have never been so stunned, awed, or excited. I truly couldn’t process what was happening and kept covering my mouth and saying no (like NO WAY!). He finally got up and asked me again where I finally said OF COURSE! It was all a blur! But the happiest blur! Thanks to his parents we have this exciting moment on video and were able to share this moment with them and his grandparents.
We were told by the venue that we could not do a sparkler send-off, SO we had to improvise and have something else special planned that we are so excited about! Something I wish we were doing but are not….having my girls walk down the aisle holding a kitten instead of flowers! Yes, Daniel vetoed this idea. And obviously, how thrilled we are to have Sara and her team by our side on our Big Day!
Sara was my personal assistant on what to wear, from nail color to hairstyle to dress she walked me through the entire thing! I need her around more often for these things! Thank goodness she will be by my side on my wedding day (can you tell that I think of her more as a friend than a vendor?!) The only thing that we were wearing that had meaning behind it was Dan’s bow tie. I bought this for him for our other best friends’ wedding last December. This was our first wedding together as an official couple and I love that he kept the bow tie. We also had to go to a 1920s party upon immediately leaving our photo shoot so that explains Dan’s suspenders (yes he wore exactly that to the party – lol).
We just wanted something romantic, light, and cheerful!
It was perfect! Sara led us through the entire thing while Jason helped with important behind the scene things like helping with lighting and swarming off mosquitoes. They worked quickly and efficiently and made it super simple & sweet.