As soon as Kelsey + Bryan told me they were thinking of taking their fall engagement photos at Artifact Coffee since they love their maple lattes, I knew we were in for a treat (and I don’t just mean the delicious maple lattes!)… add in their pup Camden and a love of the Clipper Mill / Woodberry industrial sites around the corner and I was feeling all the ‘how-did-I-get-so-lucky-these-are-my-people’ feels!!!

We talked about our shared love of the texture throughout the stone and wood historic mill buildings for probably more emails than I should admit… ;) You both are too cute for words; words can’t express how happy I am that our paths crossed!!

Camden has the most alluring eyes and was such a wonderfully sweet little model! He rocked his status as the newest #urbanrowpup and coordinated with the warm fall color palette so well…

But enough of my commentary, I can’t wait to share THEIR love story: one of perfect timing and location. While Bryan and Kelsey both grew up in North Carolina and spent their college years at UNC-Chapel Hill, it wasn't until a year and a half after moving to Baltimore for graduate school that they ended up meeting at a school formal. Bryan tried to woo Kelsey by bringing up their similar roots, but Kelsey was extremely unimpressed. A year later, after several crossed paths and attempts by friends to bring them together, Kelsey accepted Bryan's request for a date. Bryan cooked Kelsey BBQ, they talked, laughed, and watched Game of Thrones. Kelsey fell for Bryan's sense of humor, good cooking, and kind heart while Bryan fell in love with Kelsey's intelligence, compassion, and of course, her beautiful smile (it didn't hurt that she laughed at his dumb jokes too). A year and a half passes. They explore Baltimore, get a dog, travel together, do Whole30, meet each others families, and decide they want to spend the rest of their lives together…

Once we decided that we wanted to get married, Bryan got to work designing a custom ring using the diamonds from both his maternal and paternal grandmother's engagement rings with Ron at Stonehaven Jewelry in Cary, NC (Kelsey always wanted a family ring!). Kelsey is someone who is very hard to surprise and Bryan decided to propose when she'd least expect it - on a trip to visit Kelsey's best friends in Atlanta. Bryan got Kelsey's friends Kaley and Emma in on it to help with logistics and decided to ask in the Atlanta Botanical Gardens. When he found the perfect spot, he got down on one knee and asked Kelsey to marry him, and the first words out of Kelsey's mouth were, "Stop it.". Nevertheless, Kelsey said yes and we celebrated with her best friends. There was champagne, confetti, and of course pizza to end the night.

You two have such an undeniable chemistry, we’re SO excited for your September wedding at Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park!! The menu alone (featuring Copper Kitchen’s catering and ice cream cookie sandwiches for dessert) is already making all of my fall waterfront wedding dreams come true!

xo,
Naomi