It was great to work with this couple to get these photos, both they and I suffered for some of these photos (it was so cold outside). You wouldn’t be able to tell though the way that they were both so into each other. I can’t wait to shoot their wedding it should be a lot of fun! Here are some of my favorites from the day as well as their engagement story in their own words.

“Lauren thought it was going to be a quiet Friday evening at home. She was going on vacation for a week, and she worked late and got home at 8pm. Chris was supposed to be in Maryland, studying for the Step 2 exam he had to take that Monday.

At 9:00, Lauren called her parents to tell them when she’d be coming that weekend. Both her parents picked up the phone, which was unusual. She told them when she’d be coming, and then her mother said, “So are you going out tonight, or just staying in?” At that moment, her phone buzzed, and Lauren saw that Chris was calling. Lauren said she’d call him back in a few minutes, and her mom said, “No, I think you should take that call.” Oblivious, Lauren said okay and hung up.

When she picked up the call with Chris, he said, “So I don’t know where I am.” Puzzled, Lauren said, “Are you lost in DC? Do I need to get a map?” Then Chris said, “Why don’t you come to the front door and find me?” Lauren squealed, ran to the door and looked through the peephole. She didn’t see Chris, which was odd because he’s quite tall. Then, towards the bottom of the viewfinder, she saw the top of his head and realized that he was kneeling down. She opened the door, and there he was, on one knee, with a beautiful ring; and he asked “Will you marry me?” Hysterical, Lauren said yes; Chris later said he’s never seen someone start to cry that fast. Chris had apparently sneaked into town earlier in the day, stopping in Richmond first to talk to Lauren’s dad, and then came to Charlottesville to surprise her – and it worked.

They called both of their parents, with Lauren now understanding her mom’s urgency to get her off the phone earlier. Then they realized Chris hadn’t eaten dinner and went to Five Guys for burgers and Cajun fries.”

-David-

I’ve been shooting downtown a lot recently but this time I actually started in a different location and was able to see thing a little differently, I hit some of the same places but I also found some new ones, here are Kristen & Sam’s Engagement portraits as well as their engagement story in their own words.

“Sam concocted many stories to surprise Kristen with his proposal on October 24th.

Kristen thought they were getting up early to take pictures of the sunrise at Caesars Head State Park and later camp at Table Rock State Park.

When Kristen and Sam arrived to the overlook at Caesar’s Head, they were disappointed to be surrounded by thick fog. However, they could see the wind quickly pushing the fog up and over the mountain. They decided to stay put for a while to wait out the fog. Despite missing sunrise and the view due to the fog, Sam got down on one knee. After what seemed like several minutes, he pulled out a ring and asked the big question. Kristen made sure to say yes prior to kissing Sam and putting the ring on her finger.

Soon afterward, the fog quickly began to disperse, leaving Kristen and Sam with a beautiful view. After taking some pictures and enjoying the moment, Sam surprised Kristen with lunch at a nearby winery. The next surprise was spending the evening at a Bed and Breakfast instead of camping outside in the chilly autumn weather. Sam brought along a bottle of champagne from a winery tour the couple went on in Napa Valley in 2008.”

-David-