Will and Jen are super cute and super in tune with each other! They wanted their engagement photos to have a good dose of “Southern Charm” to show all of their family and friends up north what life was like for them in Raleigh. So I grabbed some mason jars and sweet tea and we headed to Yates Mill. You can’t tell in the photos, but boy was it crowded on this Sunday in November. It was wall-to-wall families and photographers. Yates Mill is a classic spot for photos and I love the rustic charm of the area. Plus, it was nice and warm!
We then headed to the art museum for a more formal and modern look. I LOOOVE the balloons!
Jen’s story:
One of the special moments that really sticks out is our first anniversary. It fell on Nov 2, 2004. Election Day! Will arranged a stay at a Bed and Breakfast for the weekend in Grand Haven, Michigan. We received a free bottle of wine (we had to wait like 20 minutes out in the cold to be let in). I’m guessing he was going for all romance and what not but with him being a big political nerd and all, we ended up staying up really late watching the results and enjoying the bottle of wine. Not my idea of a romantic getaway but I will never forget it!
Will’s side of the story – THE proposal!
Jennifer and I had been in a relationship for a long time before I finally proposed to her. The length of time it took to propose, however, had very little to do with my desire but rather the timing. Since we started dating early on in our college career, I felt that it was exceptionally important for the longevity of our relationship to wait until both of our lives became a little more stable post-college. After so many years, it was clear to everyone that we would ultimately get married some day, but the how and when there were major unknowns.
Of course marriage was something that was regularly on my mind, but I was determined to make the proposal perfect. It wasn’t clear, until a package arrived at my house one day from my mother, that I knew how I would ask Jennifer to marry me. The package from my Mother included a ring that my grandmother had worn for as many years as I could remember. A ring that my Mother wanted me to have as a keepsake – that was far nicer than any engagement ring that I could imagine and had a great emotional value attached – a family heirloom. After a discussion with my Mother, who was overjoyed that the ring would be a part of what would soon be the beginning of Jennifer and I’s long life together, the conversation was taken to Jen’s father – who, of course, was happy to give me his blessing.
On 11/12/11, Jennifer and I decided to take a walk through a local park in Greensboro, North Carolina. While we walked and talked about how far our lives had come – from meeting in college, moving to North Carolina, and starting our careers – I stopped, bent down on one knee, and asked Jen to spend the rest of our lives together. Of course, she was amenable to this idea and agreed to marry me on September 28th, 2013. It was simply one of what will be many, amazing days of my life.