This couple gives me all the good feels. Not only is Nicole a blast from the past - we went to high school together, and one of my boyfriends broke up with me to date her, hahahaha - but their stories (see below) are so beautiful, genuine, and passionate; then seeing them interact together in person perfectly lined up with their words. There was something so special about their engagement session and the way they moved with each other, that I was mesmerized.
I've spent so much time lately in clean-slate, open fields with couples; it's refreshing to focus sessions on the energy and love between people instead of distracting surroundings of epic locations and backgrounds. Give me a simple plot of land and two people who love each other, and I'll create emotion filled, please-frame-me, personality driven images without needing the Grand Canyon or Eiffel Tower to assist. This is how I create; with people, not places.
How did you meet? We met August of 2018 when Luke started working at Parkwood, where I had already been teaching for a full year. We had a lot of run-ins, but didn't start hanging out outside of school til the second semester. Our actual FIRST time meeting, I was delivering "New Teacher Welcome" baskets to all the new teachers of Parkwood. But another teacher was driving me nuts that day so I wasn't exactly being patient. I got to a room full of football coaches and delivered two baskets to guys I recognized as new. Then got to Luke .... and was out of baskets. I asked his name, said "Oh man, we don't have one for you", and walked out! Ha, he did not let me live that down for a while. I later found out the school had not actually hired him yet at that point, and when they finally did, they never let me know, so he didn't get a basket. But the next year, we had been dating for a while by then, so I made him a MASSIVE surprise "Welcome" basket with all his favorite things.
How did he propose? Luke had planned to propose in Raleigh when we went to visit our group of best friends there, but we found out as the trip got closer that they had invited some extra people that we didn't know. Knowing that we are pretty private/not into big crowds, he panicked and had to replan. While I was at school on a Wednesday, he spent the day with my parents talking through what they thought he should do. And they came to the conclusion it should be THAT DAY (it was also the day we had been dating for a year and a half). He had had the ring at that point for over 2 weeks, and his grandparents were pushing him to just do it as well. So when I got home from school, we decided we were going to go to Olive Garden (where we went for our first date), and I didn't even think anything was weird when Luke barely touched his food, while I ate everything at the table. I was completely oblivious! He couldn't get the nerve up while we were eating, but when we went to leave, he walked around to my side of the car with me and got down on one knee right there. Which I couldn't believe. AT ALL. I literally could not say anything other than "Stop, are you serious?" "Seriously, please get in the car." I was 100% surprised. But he finally got in the car, and of course I told him yes.
For the Groom | What do you love most about your girl? I will first start off and say that I absolutely love everything about her. If there was something specific ... I would say that I love her one of a kind smile that will brighten my WHOLE day no matter how I am feeling. I love how we relate in so many aspects of life. I love how she is a "hermit" probably even more so than I am. I love how she always has my back, I love how every time I am with her all my problems disappear! I love how much she spoils our dog (way way way toooo much). More than anything, I love that she is my best friend! And will always be my best friend!
For the Bride | What do you love most about your guy? Oh Luke. I promise you, I had given up on ever loving or even wanting another relationship again. And then, Luke ... It's like we've always been together. I don't do well with a lot of people getting close to me, but I want him there next to me every day, all day. He makes my days easier, my life easier. He always wants to make sure I'm happy, and he knows how much Farrah means to me and lets me love her in my CRAZY way. (And he spoils her JUST as much!) We can spend all day laughing, we can go out with other people and end up just going off on our own because we only want to see each other. I love that we get to wake up next to each other, take turns bringing each other coffee, and do our best to make each other's day a happy one. Luke makes everything about me better...