Ale and Ryan came into my life in the most unconventional way… but in a way that means so, so much to me. For context, if you’ve ever worked with me at a session in person, you know that I have a hard time keeping my voice down… my excitement generally tends to take over, and before you know it, I’ll probably be pretty much shouting YASSS CUTIES at top volume.
ANYWAYS… I was exploring the cherry blossoms during sunrise with one of my 2022 couples when Ale approached me, let me know she liked my energy, and asked for my contact info. A few months later, she had reached out to let me know that she and Ryan were in the midst of wedding planning and were looking to connect with a photographer. Soon, we were planning their timeline and scheduling their engagement session. I will be forever grateful that Ale thought to introduce herself the morning that we met because she and Ryan are truly such a treasure!
Ale and Ryan are a driven couple, but more than that, they are grounded, intelligent, and not afraid to laugh together. You can tell that the love they have for each other is real just by the way they look at each other. They originally met on Bumble, and while their careers have brought (And will bring!) these two to many corners of the globe, they currently call Arlington, VA home.
With a Kennedy Center engagement session and an elopement at the DC War Memorial, Ale and Ryan beautifully intertwined some of the most iconic DC locations into their story of becoming husband and wife.
I ask all of my couples to share their love story with me on their initial consultation call with me. Ale had mentioned that Part A of their proposal story was practical to start (With a magical part B coming with a ring and Ryan getting down on one knee a few weeks later!) but that the first time they said I Love You was from right out of a romcom. They went to Baltimore for the day to watch the Nats play the Orioles. While neither of them are super into sports, they were excited for a day with friends and each other. They started the day at brunch with a friend who was about to have a baby. Conversation lead to talking about hypothetical children’s names which then turned into talking about the names of real future children.
Later, they went out to dinner with their friend where Ale made a joke and Ryan made a joke back about why he wanted to marry her. Now… this was before they had officially said I Love You, but clearly, it was already on their mind! Later that week, they were hanging out at home when Ryan handed Ale a drink and she blurted out I Love You. When Ryan asked her to repeat what she had said, she pretended like she hadn’t said it. He asked her to say it again, and this time, she did… and they were both agreed!
Fast forward, and we are planning their Kennedy Center engagement session… which was one for the BOOKS! The day of their session was one of the hottest we had in August, but WOW was it beautiful. I have to admit… I was a little nervous heading into their session. Hamilton was in town, and the Sunday night performance would be kicking off during the middle of our session. I wasn’t sure if there would be traffic, a ton of people joining us… or if we would have the entire place to ourselves after the show started!
Fortunately, it was the latter, and we got to enjoy so many of the classic views that the Kennedy Center has to offer without the crowds that I was worried about.
We explored the first level while the sun dipped down, and then closer to sunset, we made our way upstairs where we enjoyed some seriously iconic views of DC.
While I was, unfortunately, quarantined for their wedding day, my dear friend and trusted colleague, Samantha Jean Photography, stepped in to photograph their wedding day the week of. (And she crushed it… if I do say so myself!) I’m still so sad that I was not able to be there to celebrate these two in person which is why the images in this post mean SO much to me! This was the one time during their wedding process that I was able to have them in front of my camera! While this isn’t the usual (UGH COVID), I am so grateful for the time that we were able to share together! Enjoy a sneak peek into their BEAUTIFUL Kennedy Center engagement session!
I just love these two!
Ok but these views though!
I am obsessed with how beautifully unique Ale’s ring is, but more than that, I’m obsessed with the meaning and legacy that it holds! Ale’s ring was custom designed to incorporate her grandma’s topaz stone and mom’s diamond… and also includes gold from her other grandma’s ring. How special to know that you are carrying three special women with you each and every day?!
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