Ever since we first had the chance to connect, you’ve brought such a huge smile to my face. Your love story continues to inspire me in the way you both support each other and prioritize time together amongst such busy and successful careers! I can’t wait to celebrate with you and document all the love, joy and candid emotion at your Heron Room + Cosima wedding!
tori + sam | a pizza + wine engagement at old westminster winery with their dog
/Tori + Sam’s engagement session at Old Westminster Winery couldn’t have been more fun, picturesque and a feast for all the senses. I simply adore these two!! Their sense of style and down-to-earth, warm, genuine personalities and love of big dogs…
Peppery. Bright. Easy-drinking. “Aromas and flavors of lavender, green peppercorns, plums; blackberry, rosemary…”
Inside the intimate greenhouses at the winery, they sipped locally crafted Maryland red wine by the name of “Pepper” while their dog Brewer lied down beside them sipping his own wine ;) …his own wine bottle stuffie is his favorite toy! I KID YOU NOT! Unfortunately, their cat Brisket wasn’t able to make it out with us. Dinner was a wood-fired margherita pizza made fresh right on site brought to their private greenhouse.
But let’s just get right to their love story in photos, shall we?
Tori describes how they met… guys that follow through on a promise are keepers, if you ask me. :)
“We met during Dollar Beer night at Claddaghs in Canton! I was there with a friend, and Sam walked right up and said, "Hi I'm Sam, what's your name?" He then bought me (multiple) $1 beers, and I told him he could only have my phone number if he used it. Which he did!”
And Sam’s proposal incorporated lots of surprises on their rowhouse rooftop deck… :)
“Sam told me that we were going to a brunch for our friends 30th birthday (which was actually that weekend!) and to be ready to leave at 11am. Just before 11, he asked me to go onto our roof deck for a pre-brunch drink, which I happily agreed to! Once up there, Sam brought a speaker and played our song, got down on one knee, and asked me to marry him with the most PERFECT engagement ring. We had never talked about rings before, but he asked my friends what I wanted (an emerald cut) and designed it himself with two baguette diamonds from one of his great grandmothers rings (my favorite part!). After he proposed, he grabbed a bottle of champagne that he hid up there and our two best friends popped out from the roof deck next to us! We all celebrated for a few hours at our house, and then I still thought we were going to our friends birthday brunch. But we arrived to a surprise engagement party with all of our closest friends and family. Sam’s family came from Cleveland and my family came from New York and Nashville. We had friends fly/drive in from Boston, Philly, Chicago, and New Orleans. They brought all kinds of decorations and we had the best engagement part ever! Sam had been planning for months without me knowing. As he says, I'm the perfect person for this kind of surprise because I am so oblivious!”
Tori: My favorite thing about Sam is his general calm demeanor. He is always so laid back, go with the flow, and finds ways to enjoy everything life throws his way. His personality compliments my uptight self so well, and I think his persona is the first thing that really drew me to him when we met. That, and his incredible brown eyes!
Sam: Tori's smile :)
Could you two be any cuter?! Absolutely not. You are THE cutest lovebirds and I can’t wait to photograph your wedding day at Accelerator Space with lots of smiles, lots of family and lots of peppery and bright red accents. ;)
xo,
Naomi
mekenna + nick | a fells point pier engagement with champagne
/What better way to celebrate your birthday than spending the day getting pampered with your mom as you prep for your engagement photos and then walking hand-in-hand with your fiance along the waterfront on a quiet Tuesday night in Fells Point… it was cloudy and overcast but that didn’t stop the champagne and fun flirty looks flowing between these two!
In fact, the gray skies made it so much better: no squinting, no washed out colors and less crowds along the water… they had the entire Broadway Pier and Four Seasons promenade all to themselves! Consider it my birthday gift to you, Mekenna. ;)
Aren’t they such a gorgeous couple?!
When I asked them to share their favorite things about each other, they both didn’t know how to narrow their answers down… that’s when you know it’s meant to be. ;)
Nick: “There is not enough room on the page to write down all the things I love about Mekenna. I think what I love the most is how much attention and care she offers to those closest to her. She is truly the most amazing person I have ever met - strong, independent and brilliant. I am constantly in awe, and am not sure how I could ever be so lucky… she is also easy on the eyes. ;)”
Mekenna: “I also can't begin to narrow down my favorite things about Nick. I love that he can make me smile even when I'm in the worst mood. I feel safe and loved whenever I'm with him. He is the sweetest, most thoughtful, and the most genuine person I have ever met in my life. I can't believe I'm lucky enough to spend the rest of my life with him!”
Mekenna + Nick, I can’t wait for the honor of photographing your wedding! The way you love each other is not only inspiring but so full of respect, admiration, passion and genuine joy - it’s easy to see why you’re so adorable and perfect together!!
xo,
Naomi
sarah + dan | a classic spring engagement in mt. vernon baltimore
/While planning their engagement photos, I knew there were 3 things that were important to Sarah and Dan:
catching the magnolia trees in bloom in Baltimore (they’re Sarah’s favorite!)
including Maple, their adorable poodle and #urbanrowpup, for a few photos
having fun and being themselves (scroll down to see how they celebrated at the end of the shoot with some bubbly to ensure fun was had! ;))
You two have been such a pleasure to get to know, your genuine love for each other shines through every moment! Your sense of style and attention to detail has been SO MUCH FUN to see come together during the wedding planning throughout all of our conversations…
I can’t wait for your gorgeously chic, industrial Fall wedding at the Mt. Washington Mill Dye House but in the meantime, am so excited to share some of these favorites from your spring engagement session in Mt. Vernon! Every urban engagement session should end with riding downhill on a scooter… :)
Read their proposal story:
Some of Dan's friends were planning a trip to a beach house in Massachusetts and Dan decided that would be where he pulled the trigger (he had already had the ring for a few months and he was getting dangerously close to spilling the beans). Sarah almost figured it out when Dan suggested they buy new outfits for the trip and insisted on getting up for sunrise at a nearby lighthouse. One of Sarah's friends, Katherine, was key in shaking Sarah off the trail; "Dan likes clothes and hasn't bought any since he started working from home, and you like cheesy pictures."
They drove up to Mass on Saturday, when Sarah realized that she chipped her new nail polish, Dan deadpan looked at her and said, "Well its not like anybody is going to be looking at your hands," and the conversation ended.
The next morning, they woke up at 4:30 to get ready for pictures - the sun rose about 30 minutes sooner in Mass than it did in Baltimore. After taking a bunch of snaps, Dan went to get the ring from his back pocket, but the ring box got stuck. Sarah looked on like he was a crazy person as he jumped up and down trying to find an angle where his pants would allow the box to escape. "My wallet is twisted in my pocket and it feels super annoying!" and she bought the excuse! He freed the ring, got down on one knee, where she quickly joined him and said, "yes."
Sarah + Dan, your wedding is finally only DAYS away!!! You’re going to be married and it’s only going to get better from here! I can’t wait to celebrate alongside you both, you make such a great team and parents to Maple… here’s to lots more love, laughter, beautiful blooms and dancing at the Dye House!
xoxo,
Naomi
lee + dan | a sunset engagement at cold saturday farm with their dogs
/Fancy and Barkley are the luckiest pups to have Lee and Dan as their paw-rents… just look at those happy faces basking in the golden sunlight streaming through the trees at Cold Saturday Farm!
To be honest, when Lee initially reached out about photographing their wedding, I had never heard of Cold Saturday Farm in Finksburg, MD. Established in 1765 by virtue of a grant from the King of England, Cold Saturday is a one-of-a-kind estate: a lovingly preserved and restored colonial farm encompassing 60 acres in western Maryland. It features rolling hills and pristine lawns, lakes and creeks, fieldstone mansions and log cabins… but what does that all mean for Lee and Dan?
It means there were SO MANY beautifully picturesque backdrops for portraits and all the space one could ever want to stroll in a peaceful and serene rural landscape with their dogs. Not only will their October wedding take place here, but we took advantage of the expansive, photogenic property to get to know each space for their Fall engagement photos as well!
I’m obsessed with their love story, their pups and the way these photos turned out… I can’t wait to be back at Cold Saturday Farm for their wedding day!
Lee + Dan, I can’t wait to see you two officially become husband and wife! You’re always so eager to give your time and energy to others, now it’s everyone else’s turn to celebrate you both and the amazing love you share!!
xo,
Naomi
kristen + eric | a chic + fun fells point engagement on the water
/These college sweethearts have a love story that spans years and multiple states and down-to-earth personalities that immediately make you feel like you’ve known them for years… you know what that adds up to?
…I didn’t want our time together to end and I felt like I could have hung out with these two ALL DAY LONG! Good thing their wedding is coming up because I don’t think I can wait any longer to see their moves on the dance floor!!
3 THINGS I LOVED ABOUT KRISTEN + ERIC’S OVERCAST FELLS POINT ENGAGEMENT SESSION:
The clouds in the sky didn’t get them down one bit - their laughter, playfulness and adorable loving glances made every photo better than the last!
Their outfits… Kristen’s jumpsuit is giving me all the heart eyes and Eric’s blazer gives off the perfect amount of waterfront date night vibes.
The bottle of champagne they enjoyed during the photos; their friends had made it for them with a photo of when they got engaged! So sweet!
Cheers, cuties! T-1 more week until you’re officially husband and wife!! I can not wait! Your wedding day at Belmont Manor is going to be simply beautiful and more importantly, the most fun… because you two are absolutely both of those things and more!
xo,
Naomi
rose + ryan | an adorable sunset engagement in fells point
/Ryan and Rose are honestly too cute for words. We had so much fun in Patterson Park and Fells Point as the sun set with a cotton candy colored sky behind the Domino Sugar sign shining brightly behind them… since one of their first dates was at Abbey Burger Bistro, we had to stop for some photos in front of it in Broadway Square (scroll down to see those)!
I love that their “how we met” story basically comes down to dogsitting:
“We met in passing through Rose's workplace where Ryan had previously been a law clerk while in law school. While we never worked together, Ryan came back to help out when the firm needed help during busy times and has always kept in touch with the owners of the firm. We were both dog-sitting for them while they were away one weekend so we had to keep in touch to hand off the dogs in the mornings. Ryan used this opportunity to ask Rose out to dinner.”
Their proposal story involved trash in Ryan’s pockets…!
“We were in Ocean City, MD for a relaxing weekend celebrating the recent engagement of our friends, Jamie and Jackson. The weekend before, we had planned and pulled off an elaborate surprise proposal and engagement party for them at our house. It was supposed to storm that day with Hurricane Laura on it's way so we wanted to get some beach time in; we went to the beach early even though it was cloudy and cold and almost no one was out there. I handle doing the laundry in the household and Ryan has a chronic case of putting trash in his pockets (wrappers, receipts, twigs, paper towels, napkins, leaves, etc.) and I am always having to clean them out before doing laundry and getting on his case about it.
Ryan said he was going into the water and started handing me trash from his pockets, which I could not understand since I had washed his swim trunks since the last time we went to the beach and then he handed me a folded up note that said "Will you marry me" and the ring. I had no idea, with my mind still on Jamie and Jackson's engagement. He only told Jamie and Jackson about 5 minutes beforehand too. All of our friends say, in true Jamie and Rose fashion, we would get engaged only a week apart and she will be getting married a month before! (we do everything together).”
I can’t wait for your wedding at Main Street Ballroom! It’s going to be the perfect blend of fun (hi skeeball!), romance (marrying your favorite person!), laughter and lots of love… and of course, delicious food, flowers and fun socks.
See you cuties, SOOOOON!
xo,
Naomi
meghan + justin | a lush, greenery filled engagement at rawlings conservatory
/On a bright and beautiful sunny Fall day, I explored the lush Rawlings Conservatory with Meghan and Justin — they are absolutely radiant and perfect together.
Their love story started simply with a friendship and being in the right time and place. A mutual friend’s wedding was involved in taking it to the next level and the rest you can read below… ;)
What are their favorite things about each other…? Their answers left me speechless.
“Justin is incredibly thoughtful. Not just in the ways that selfishly I benefit, but in the way he loves his family and treats others, the way he is so intentional in making decisions to support the life he wants to live. He makes things happen, but is never reckless. Did I mention he still opens car doors for me and is the best chef/baker?”
“Meghan is a third-level thinker, something beyond intelligent. I can spend hours considering a dilemma and come up with a course of action.. but it wasn't long before I learned that running it by her will almost always lead to a more complete solution. She knows which subtle details are the critical points, and she explains them in an ego-less way that helps and encourages. I know it, her peers and colleagues know it, and it's why people (and I) place unparalleled value in her friendship (and future wife-ship).”
How they met in Justin’s words:
“We originally met through friends just being in the same place at the same time. We saw each other infrequently for many years and didn't really share much time together. Some would say we barely tolerated each other. Five or so years later, some of those mutual friends had a wedding. I (Justin) was an usher and spotted Meghan walking towards the seating. I had two thoughts -- 1. we should be cooler with each other and 2. damn she looks good in that dress and with that hair (it was in this order, I swear). I skipped the line of ushers to be the guy to walk her to seat, said "hi" etc., and returned to my usher duties for about 5 minutes before coming back to sit with Meghan and talk. We slow danced once at the wedding. We talked a little more, walked to her car when she left, and that capped off what I felt was a good potential start. That start led to texting, a couple movies ... moving in together, and choosing 9/30/21 as a very important date.”
And the proposal (that brought tears to my eyes!) in Meghan’s words:
“It was a Tuesday and I had just gotten home from work. Justin let me know there was something in the mail for me and went upstairs to change into his gym clothes, totally normal. The envelope was so strange, addressed to me and my mother with a CT return address. Inside the mailing envelope, another blue envelope. Inside the blue envelope, a letter in Justin's handwriting to my mom. I froze. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to read this, or it had somehow gotten lost and mailed back to me instead of Justin? I finally went half-way upstairs and asked Justin if I was supposed to read this letter. I sure was, and it was the sweetest letter to my mom asking for her blessing to propose. I stood in the kitchen re-reading the letter, so surprised and in awe that it took me a good ten minutes to finally come upstairs where Justin was waiting. He got on one knee, said all the sweet things again, and I said yes.”
Cheers, cuties! Your gentle, sweet and genuine love is an inspiration… I can’t wait to celebrate alongside you at the Mt. Washington Mill Dye House SO SOON!!
xo,
Naomi
rachael + guido | a lake roland dog engagement session
/It was warm enough to wear short sleeves while also being cool enough to wear a blazer during Rachael + Guido’s Fall engagement photos at Lake Roland. These 3 (hi Ode!) were laughing from the second we started, showcasing their playful, “natural weirdness” and I couldn’t get enough of them!
4 REASONS THIS LAKE ROLAND ENGAGEMENT SESSION WAS SO PICTURESQUE:
Because it included Ode, of course. ;) But in all seriousness, R+G’s mini Aussie was so adorable and well-behaved; he stole the show! Rachael’s mom came to help as the dog-wrangler and it was perfect.
We waited until late October (the 29th) to be sure the leaves had color and man, did we get lucky!!
Rachael wore a black floral dress that had just the right amount of pattern to really pop against the trees and golden light.
They didn’t take themselves too seriously and are completely head over heels in love together! Knowing how to completely relax and show your genuine emotion will pay off in beautiful candids…
I can’t wait to FINALLY celebrate your wedding day with you (and Ode)! It’s been such a long time coming and you’ve gone through so many changes from your original plan… but you know what that means, right? This one will be perfect for you!
xo,
Naomi
ilana + ben | spring engagement at Rawlings Conservatory
/Ilana and Ben chose to celebrate their relationship and newly engaged status in the place where it all officially started, Druid Hill Park! I couldn’t have been more excited for our time together since Ilana actually proposed to Ben here… more on that below…
These two share such a thoughtful, sweet, caring and intellectual chemistry together and inspire me with the way they strive for social justice in so many aspects of their lives.
We had the most lovely weather in Druid Hill Park for their engagement photos and with a ton of spots on our list to explore together, I’m so excited to share these vibrant yet relaxed and effortless, fun, candid moments with you!
Here’s more about the start of their meet-cute:
“We met at a rotating egalitarian, vegetarian, potluck Shabbat dinner in early 2018. The group is called Harbor Minyan and friends from that group are among our closest in Baltimore today! We talked about studying economics and travels to India over Ben's classic bean salad and Ilana's dish-of-the-month (always something different!) Ben made an impression by sharing a video of his Indian dance moves the that first night, and later invited Ilana to a small dinner party he was hosting.”
And the proposal:
“Ben lives for puzzles, so Ilana planned a scavenger hunt for Ben throughout Baltimore, leading to her in Druid Hill Park. She popped the question on a picnic blanket, they popped open champagne provided by a friend, and moments after they finished their glasses, the sky opened up with a major late August rainstorm! They celebrated and shared the news with family and friends during their lake getaway the following week.
Earlier this month, Ben surprised Ilana with a full-on at-home date night for Valentine's Day, with candles, music, dressing up, and take-out from one of our favorite restaurants. Ben suggested Ilana put a record on while Ben poured drinks, and she found a box of chocolates in the record player! Along with the chocolates she found an even more sparkly surprise - a ring!”
5 spots in Druid Hill Park we took Ilana + Ben’s engagement photos
their proposal spot, big trees and an intimate feel with a picnic blanket, a surprise chess set for Ben and margaritas
Taylor’s Grove (one of my favorite spots!)
Alllll the cherry blossoms near the Reservoir
Rawlings Conservatory gardens
Not location related, but I have to give a huge shoutout to Ilana’s outfits! I loved how romantic, relaxed and stylishly perfect the dress and tulle skirt paired with an off the shoulder lace top were for a garden, park engagement… and her curly hair still leaves me speechless!!!
I can not wait to celebrate with you and your families at Tusculum Farm! It’s going to be an absolutely beautiful June day in such a lush and relaxed garden setting… see you soon, cuties!
xo,
Naomi
sara + greg | a serene summer equestrian engagement
/When Sara first suggested the horse farm she rides at as the location for their engagement photos, I was all in… and then she told me that Connor the horse, would make an appearance too; YESSSS!
In addition to the beauty of the rolling hills and views at Vintage Oaks Farm (and Sara’s adorably photogenic horse!), my favorite thing to see was how snuggly and sweet these two were together! Greg has this relaxed, safe and gentle way of loving Sara and bringing out the best smiles… I love the way they are so calm, thoughtful and genuinely happy together.
The story of their first date is so cute… here’s how it happened in their words:
“Greg and I met through how all modern romances seem to start- online. We met up for drinks in Hunt Valley and I remember being smitten from the get go. He was such a gentleman from the start. I could tell how kind and funny he is just from that first date. I wasn’t ready to have the date end so we ended up going for a drive and getting ice cream. It was a really perfect first date. I knew he was enjoying it because he asked me on a second date while we were still on the first. We met up later that week and I feel like the rest was history. We became pretty inseparable after that.” -Sara
“As Sara mentioned, we did meet online. I was very anxious to meet Sara for the first time. I knew just from chatting with her that we had a connection, and I was excited to see if that would translate to “real life”. We hit it off immediately. I wasn’t going to let her get away, so I did ask her on a second date before the first was even over.” -Greg
Can these two get anymore adorable? When asked what their favorite things about each other are, this is how they answered:
“It’s hard to pick one thing but one of the things I love most about Greg is how safe and supported he makes me feel. I feel like I can get through anything in life with him by my side. He is always there to celebrate with me in the good times but also there to comfort and support me through the hard times. He also has a great sense of humor and can be so goofy. He can also cook steak like a champ. (Like I said, its hard to just pick one thing :))”
“There’s so much to love about Sara. She truly brings out the best in me; she makes me want to be a better person. She’s smart, thoughtful, and an all-around loving person. She always has my back. She’s a very strong, supportive person. She is everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”
Sara and Greg, I CAN NOT WAIT to celebrate with you and your families tomorrow at Stone Ridge Hollow; I’m so honored to be a part of your wedding day and these memories!
xo,
Naomi
holly + josh | a fancy, formal + fun Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower engagement
/The sky was bright and blue when we met up at the Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower for Holly + Josh’s formal engagement portraits on a sunny December morning.
I had been looking forward to our time together in this space since we first started talking about their vision for photos… it was my first time being inside this epic industrial, historic and charm-filled Baltimore venue! Seeing how happy they make each other and how perfectly quirky, silly and sweet their love story is, it was so easy to document them in a natural, candid and relaxed way.
5 FUN FACTS ABOUT…
HOLLY + JOSH’S PORTRAITS AT THE BROMO SELTZER CLOCK TOWER + CEREMONY COFFEE IN MT VERNON
We brainstormed a few different locations before landing on the Bromo Seltzer Clock Tower and it was THE perfect spot: full of natural light, private, intimate, one of a kind, historic and fun...
Holly + Josh made clear to me that they had a vision for what they wanted and it wasn’t the typical engagement session feel. They wanted artsy and different. The art and creativity of the portrait itself was important to them; quality over quantity.
The Clock Tower is one of the most unique and photogenic structures in Baltimore (seriously, have you ever seen a location that even comes close to being as memorable as this?!) so I love that they juxtaposed how raw and textured it is with their fancy, formal attire.
Sharing a love of coffee, one of their first shared cups together was at IKEA… (browsing there is my idea of a perfect date too!)
Since the Clock Tower is not far from Mt. Vernon, we had to end at Ceremony Coffee which provided the perfect contrast with it’s modern design aesthetic.