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:

1. catching the magnolia trees in bloom in Baltimore (they’re Sarah’s favorite!)

2. including Maple, their adorable poodle and #urbanrowpup, for a few photos

3. 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

allie + hunter | a spring mt. vernon engagement at brewer's art

On a beautiful Friday in Mt. Vernon, I met up with Allie + Hunter (+ Bruce, who was THE most well-behaved little pup!) for their spring engagement photos… it was so much fun because they have such a naturally adorable and sweet chemistry together — seriously these two could make a blank wall look amazing!

They started with a beer at Brewer’s Art and then we walked down to the Washington Monument to take advantage of the gorgeous magnolia blooms. We got so lucky with the weather and had a chance to stop in front of the Belvedere, an iconic spot in the Mt. Vernon neighborhood as well as timing it right to get that glowy setting sunlight streaming through the trees at the west side of the park in Mt. Vernon Place!

Allie + Hunter, you’re both such a joy to be around and deserve all the happiness life can bring! I can not wait to be a part of your wedding day at Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park on the water… you’ve been waiting so long for this day and it’s finally here!!!

xo,
Naomi

elizabeth + steven | a golden hour garden engagement at Cylburn Arboretum

Cylburn Arboretum’s gardens are in my opinion, the most photogenic natural setting in Baltimore! Whether spring, summer or fall, the grounds are full of color, texture, greenery and a historic mansion that provides elegance, romance and intrigue. It doesn’t get better than this if you want your engagement photos to be timeless, gorgeous and full of variety.

So while brainstorming locations with Elizabeth and Steve, I was extra excited when we landed on Cylburn since Elizabeth told me that Steve is a huge fan of The Wire and they filmed this scene there, so we might have to recreate it together…! ;) Scroll down to see how they did!

I love that they met while playing kickball in Federal Hill almost 10 years ago now and have such a sweet and playful relationship. Their photos just make me smile so much - they’re so comfortable around each other and have such a loving way of being together.

More about their love story, in Elizabeth’s words:

“We met in Fall of 2012. Steve and I were both living in Federal Hill (actually on the same block but didn't know it!). Separately we decided with some friends to join a kickball league and were placed on the same team where we met. Our groups merged fast and we regularly hung out as friends. We were close friends for 2 years before we started dating in 2014.

In June when some of the COVID restrictions were lifted, I was excited to eat outside at a restaurant (and not out of a takeout container). I made a reservation at Limoncello in our neighborhood which ultimately got pushed back a week due to weather. The plan was to walk down to dinner so Steve suggested we take drinks and walk down to Tide Point (a very regular spot for us). When we got there, we sat along the water for a bit before getting ready to head on to dinner. When we stood back up to keep walking Steve took my drink out of my hand, got down on one knee and proposed! Our best friends were hiding behind one of the buildings taking pictures and popped out with champagne to toast. Steve had also secretly changed the reservation so they joined us for dinner to continue the celebrations! My childhood friend is a jewelry designer and Steve worked with her (Sasha Walsh Designs) to make my ring, making everything even more special!”

Elizabeth and Steve, we can’t wait for your wedding at The Winslow this weekend!! I love that we’ll be able to celebrate with photos at Tide Point too, where you got engaged and with such incredible views of Baltimore, a city with so much personality to show off!

xo,
Naomi

audrey + todd | a spring capitol hill engagement

Living in one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in DC, when Audrey suggested taking their engagement photos on Capitol Hill among all of the beautifully painted brick rowhouses, I knew we were in for a treat. Add in blooming cherry blossoms, magnolias and tree-lined streets with brick sidewalks, it was so much fun exploring the neighborhood with these two!

Audrey wore an adorable little black dress with a scalloped edge neckline (that I absolutely loved btw) and nude-colored heels that weren’t the easiest thing to stroll around the neighborhood in, so she brought a pair of flat sandals. Highly recommend this method to all future #urpbrides - no need to sacrifice fashion for function if you don’t mind carrying a pair of comfy flats and slipping in and out of them as we stop for great spots… ;) it was a hot April afternoon but you’d never know it while looking at these cozy moments together!

Your September wedding at the Intercontinental Wharf along the waterfront in DC is going to be incredible! With an elegant, simple and contemporary design to their event spaces and a neutral color palette to accentuate views of the Potomac River, I can not wait to see it all unfold and capture your love story among close family and friends from both coasts!

xo,
Naomi

erin + greg | tide point baltimore waterfront engagement

With winter allowing me some time to breathe and catch up with all the things, I can’t wait to finally share warmer weather vibes and all the madly in love 2019 urban row couples that I haven’t shared yet!

Before we dive into how wonderfully matched Erin and Greg are, I have to say how grateful I am not only for fun-loving couples like them, but how they came to be part of the Urban Row Photography family... Mandi and Miles, one of our 2016 couples (see their incredible July waterfront wedding in Baltimore here!), are good friends with Erin and Greg and connected us soon after they got engaged. Referrals like this mean the absolute world to us - there are not enough words to express how much we appreciate knowing you felt that comfortable and confident in sharing our work and your experience with your best friends!

Meeting up with Erin + Greg at Tide Point was the perfect spot to capture their love story since it all begin by the water!! I’m always amazed to hear stories like theirs! If this doesn’t make you believe in fate, I don’t know what will…

“We met at Seacrets in Ocean City! An unlikely spot! Greg was visiting Ocean City with a group of guy friends. It was the weekend he was supposed to be in Vegas for a friend's bachelor party. When that friend's wedding was called off, they decided to go on a quick trip to Ocean City instead of going to Vegas. Erin was staying in Fenwick DE (not far from OCMD) with her friend (and maid of honor) Maddy. Both groups ended up at Seacrets on Friday night. Maddy was dancing with one of Greg's friends, so when Greg saw Erin alone, he asked to buy her a drink. We exchanged numbers at the end of the night and have been texting daily ever since!”

As soon as we started, Erin and Greg fell into such a groove, they were complete naturals in front of the camera and if they didn’t feel like it, I definitely couldn’t tell… (that’s always the goal: I want you to have fun, be silly and belly laugh as much as possible… just so ya know!)

Erin’s favorite thing about Greg makes me smile since I could totally see it during their engagement session! Their faces both light up whenever they look at each other… “My favorite thing about Greg is his laugh. It sums up his care free attitude and overall "fun to be around" spirit. And, it's what stood out about him the first night we met.”

Their proposal story gave me butterflies and also involved a view of boats and Baltimore waterfront sunset perfection!

“Greg planned to propose at Erin's family's cabin on the Susquehanna River. They were supposed to spend a Saturday there so Greg could help put the docks in the water for the season. However, Erin was asked to go to Los Angeles for work last minute and booked a flight home the Saturday he planned to propose, so that plan wouldn't work. Greg says he couldn't wait until another weekend, so he decided to propose the night before Erin left for Los Angeles, on Wednesday evening. They went to dinner at Blair's on Hudson (favorite neighborhood spot where we always order the same thing - Guinness Filet!) and went for a walk on the water afterward. Greg proposed on the waterfront in Canton when the sun was setting. It was a beauuuuutiful early May evening. It was a pretty private spot, but after he proposed, a few people sitting on their boats docked in the water nearby started cheering! They continued walking to Fells Point for a celebratory drink and started making calls to family and friends to share the news.”

You both are the sweetest and we can’t wait to capture your wedding at the Accelerator Space in April! If you bring your best laughs and adorable carefree love, it will be a day to remember like no other!

Cheers to 2019 being your best year yet!

xo,
Naomi