ashley + jake | an avam + federal hill engagement full of love + bubbly

As a native Marylander, Ashley has a ton of pride for Baltimore (and Jake, a native Texan, is quickly learning how great it is here! ;)), so choosing to take their engagement photos at the American Visionary Art Museum then walking atop Federal Hill Park as the sun was setting, made for the most iconic Baltimore photos that I can’t wait to share with you!

If you want a glimpse into why these two are so special, cue the happy tears when you read the simple trait that is Jake’s favorite thing about his fiance:

“When she laughs, it lights up my day in an amazing way.”

I love the details of their college meet-cute! (and totally random fun fact: the architecture firm I used to work for, designed Turman Hall at Emory University where they first met… how’s that for a small world!?)

“Jake and I met in the very stereotypical way: we lived one floor apart from each other in the same freshman dorm, Turman Hall, our freshman year at Emory University. We both had kind of odd roommates, so instead of spending time in our dorm rooms, we both spent a lot of time in the dorm lounge at the end of the hall – myself and Nneoma (a girl in my hall who became my best friend and now bridesmaid) downstairs in the girls floor lounge, and Jake upstairs in the boys floor lounge, which was open to our lounge below. We spent sooooo much time in that lounge our first year, including one memorable night where the 3 of us legitimately stayed up from 6pm until 6am talking about anything and everything. Jake and I had very different experiences growing up. Our story-sharing provided a really great foundation of friendship that I was totally clueless as to any potential feelings starting to get involved until it came out that Jake was interested in me around December of our first year. It came as a total shock, but once I calmed down from my fear of the risk of hurting the friendship if something were to work out (always a concern but was even more terrifying as an 18-year-old at the time where EVERYTHING is a huge deal), I realized how well we could work. We spent all of winter break texting nonstop and I remember being so excited to go back to school in January to see him and start to try things out. We started “officially” dating the day after Valentine’s Day and have been together ever since – 10 years by the time we get married!”

And it just keeps getting sweeter — Ashley was serenaded during Jake’s proposal. You have to read their proposal story below!!!

“Jake and I spent a lot of time during the pandemic in Patterson Park in Baltimore, lying out on a picnic blanket and reading, people-watching, and just enjoying the sunlight (grabbing some ice cream from Bmore Licks or a pizza from Verde on our way out!). It definitely became a “thing” so it was only natural he worked it into the proposal. We were sitting on a blanket under a tree not far from the pagoda, and Jake got up to go “get something from the car” – and returned with a barbershop quartet who sang and serenaded us before he got on one knee and asked me to marry him! I was in an a cappella group in college (on top of many other choirs throughout my life), so the music was a nod to that and overall just the most charming thing – it was a group of four older men who traveled all the way from Reston, Virginia to come and sing for us, and they seemed almost as excited as Jake was! We got Bmore Licks and spent some time relaxing at home (Jake passed out on the couch from relief and I remember taking a picture of my newly-ringed hand next to his sleeping self lol) and celebrated with dinner at Fells Point that night. It was an awesome day.”

Ashley + Jake, honored and excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about photographing your decade-in-the-making love story; you are very clearly meant to continue laughing together for many, many years! Let’s get you two married!!!
xo,
Naomi

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

jessica + mike | a vibrant engagement at the waterfront arches in baltimore

Jessica and Mike, your relationship is an inspiration to so many… I have a hunch that these qualities are part of the reasons why. ;)

Jessica: “My favorite thing about Mike is his total, complete lack of arrogance. It shines in so many contexts—in his curiosity for learning new things, from anyone he meets; his willingness to listen and empathize with people's feelings and experiences; his humility regarding his own gifts and talents; and his celebration of the people he loves and all their triumphs. There is not a self-serving bone in his whole body.”

Mike: “My favorite thing about Jessica is how she believes in me and us relentlessly. The way that she gives herself to people without expectation of reciprocation, and without bounds. The way that she can make you feel like the most powerful, capable, and loved man in the world but somehow still finds a way to remind you she's running the show, and you may suddenly remember how ludicrous the dreams you've now achieved sounded out loud before you met her. I love her persistence, her soft spots for those she loves, and how she allows me to see a little more of her that nobody's ever seen everyday.”

Here’s the story of their meet-cute:

“We met at a local gym—Mike was a personal trainer and Jessica taught yoga part-time. We crossed paths in the morning, when Jessica started noticing Mike reading books in the office, in between seeing clients. After a few inquiries, Jessica found out that Mike was recently single (and another coworker suggested that he "had a line" of women awaiting his attention). Jessica found that a little off-putting, but she gently touched his arm one morning after an awkward conversation anyway— which was perhaps the only sign that Mike registered as a potential indicator of romantic interest. Several days later, Jessica stopped going to the gym due to the emerging pandemic, but she had a book that Mike had loaned her and thought that she may see him again one day. After the gym shut down, Jessica noticed that the avatar on Mike's private-setting Instagram profile had changed from a photo of his late dog, Sophie, to a photo of his very handsome face. She took it as a sign that he was maybe ready to start dating, so she sent him a friend request and he immediately accepted and slid into those DMs. Two days later, Mike invited Jessica to stop by and take a break from the cold while she was on one of her COVID-season walks around the Inner Harbor. We ended up spending over three hours talking that first Sunday... and even though Jessica refused to touch any surfaces in Mike's apartment or come closer than six feet, we knew we had found a connection. We've been together ever since— with the exception of a couple "I might have been exposed, see you in 7 days" apart.”

And the proposal, which I can’t read without happy tears streaming down my face:

“In January 2021, Mike surprised Jessica with a birthday present... that would not arrive for 9 more months. He had planned a trip to Jessica's favorite place in the U.S.: Acadia National Park. At the end of semester, we set off on the trip, taking a long roadtrip to Maine. We spent two days hiking in Acadia and tent camping at Blackwoods Campground. On a rainy, foggy Saturday morning, we left the campground and headed into Bar Harbor, where Mike had booked a luxurious suite in Jessica's favorite bed-and-breakfast, the Saltair Inn. What could have been a very happy morning was actually quite grumpy for Jessica, who was tired and annoyed with some loud campers from the night before. Unbeknownst to her, Mike was walking around with the largest ring box known to man inside his shorts pocket. He kept looking for moments to propose, but Jessica kept spoiling each second with general grumpiness. It wasn't until Mike suggested they walk along the Bar Harbor Shore Path that her mood—and the rain clouds—started to lift. Mike asked to see her favorite rock—the one she used to crawl out to and spend her afternoons on when she used to visit Acadia on her own, several trips prior. They found the big rock and crawled out onto it and began to enjoy the view of fog-covered islands against a beautiful backdrop of purples, blues, and pinks in the sky. Then, Mike asked the most annoying question known to man: "Can I take your picture?" Jessica, who hates having Mike take her photo—because he loves her so much that she could be sprouting a mushroom-covered dinosaur from her head and he would still say she looks great—promptly refused. After Mike persisted and reassured Jessica that she didn't even have to look back at the camera, she begrudgingly agreed, looked out over the water, and waited. As she grew increasingly agitated, Mike got into position and then, in typical Mike fashion, poked her in the butt. Jessica turned around to find Mike waiting on one knee. When he asked her to marry him, she even forgot to say yes before she knelt down to hug him and began to cry.”

Jessica and Mike, I’ve been looking forward to your wedding from the first conversation we ever had. Jess, your love for food and your furbaby Waffle, vibrant color, organization, design, clarity and kindness in everything you do and touch is an inspiration (seriously, I don’t want our time together to end!) -- and Mike, you compliment Jessica in every single way with a genuine love and respect that makes it so clear to see why you’re soulmates.

I can not wait to celebrate you both and document every glance, moment, touch and festive twirl that your wedding day brings. It’s going to fly by so I recommend lots of deep breaths as you take it all in from the mezzanine at The Winslow. ;)

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

1. their proposal spot, big trees and an intimate feel with a picnic blanket, a surprise chess set for Ben and margaritas

2. Taylor’s Grove (one of my favorite spots!)

3. Alllll the cherry blossoms near the Reservoir

4. Rawlings Conservatory gardens

5. 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

melanie + james | north point state park beach engagement with their dogs

There are so many reasons to love Mel + James, I don’t know where to start!! The first 5 that come to mind:

1. They are not only dog people… they are double dog parents to 2 of the most adorable, photogenic, sweet, energetic and personality-filled pups I’ve ever met.

2. Mel’s sense of style; she is my go-to resource for fall boots (Frye all the way!), summer dresses, blue-light glasses (she introduced me to the awesomeness of Felix Gray!) Anthropologie inspo, mood boards + color palettes, modern typefaces and dog-friendly bars + breweries.

3. They brought 2 types of liquid courage with them to their esesh: one to drink and one to pop for the photos, obviously (scroll to the end). Yes and YES!

4. She is a fellow small-business owner too; Little Orange Studio specializes in ‘thoughtfully crafted design’ (love that tagline).

5. James proposal was a complete surprise, in a wine cellar of a local Baltimore restaurant with “a significantly large charcuterie board” (the BEST, right?)…more on the proposal details below! :)

But how they got to this point is an adorable story on its own… in Mel’s words:

“We first met at a college pre-game party in Salisbury. The pre-game was at James' house and a mutual friend invited me and my roommate over. Naturally, I was underage and playing beer pong with Captain Morgan. Across from me on the table was James!

We bumped into each other back home on spring break at The Stalking Horse where we exchanged numbers and realized that we're both from Baltimore. We are laughing out loud right now because it seriously is so blurry we can't even get our story straight. There were so many fun nights following with friends where James and I would bump into each other. We both say that we're pretty sure we had the same conversations several times and it's the drunk college version of 50 first dates. We both also worked in Ocean City every summer when the spring semester was over. We had our first date that summer and some of our most favorite memories. I still can't believe it took us three years at college and three summers working down the beach to finally bump into each other because we had so many mutual friends.”

I love these two photos paired up because it shows how cute they were at the beginning of our time together and how confident and much fun they were having at the end… not to mention, their perfect choices for a summer-at-the-beach vibe to their engagement photos! Mel’s dress is this Anthro one, if you were wondering… ;)

And then the proposal story… in James’ words!

“I made reservations on the week of her birthday to throw her off the scent of me or anyone that could be getting overly excited, as well as going to a really nice restaurant. A week before I scouted out the wine cellar and met the manager and server who would be taking care of us and told them the plan.

I reserved the wine cellar in the basement of the restaurant where we had wine and a significantly large charcuterie board. We were hanging out, enjoying ourselves when I thought I saw something that looked familiar. (For anyone who has not been in their wine cellar, it is a narrow room, obviously with wine literally wall to wall. There are 3 long narrow tables for people to hang out and drink while they are down there, so when popping the question, I had to figure out how to get on the other side of this long narrow table.) I moved to the other side of the table to look at one of the bottles of wine on the lower rack, while on one knee and came up with the ring box in my hand and popped the question. She had NO IDEA and all the planning was well worth the reaction. We then went upstairs for dinner and a drinks, then went home and had friends and family over to celebrate!”

It’s hard to pick a favorite of these two, but the black and white moments may be my favorite… they so perfectly show the way Mel + James compliment each other.

“If I could just name one thing [I love about James], it would be that I've never had more fun with anyone else in any given situation. James makes everything fun and I really love that about him. I've never laughed so hard in three hours of stand-still traffic. Some of my favorite memories are times where it was just him and I doing something impromptu and having a blast. Even arguments end up with both of us laughing. How lucky am I to marry someone that makes life so fun— never a dull moment.” ~Mel

“I love Mel's selflessness and how she always puts other people before herself. She is truly a genuine person and agrees with me when we say that its about the little things in this life. On top of that she always motivates me to be the best possible version on myself and keeps me young at heart. ~James

You both are the definition of perfect soulmates and I couldn’t be happier to document the official start of your married life together! I know it’s bittersweet to have had to postpone to 2021, but know we are all celebrating with you this weekend in spirit and the party will be that much more EPIC when the big day finally gets here next summer!

xo,
Naomi

ashley + nat | a patterson park + fells point sunset engagement

Ashley + Nat are huge soccer fans… so much so that they traveled to London to watch their favorite team play a match which (unbeknownst to Ashley), was the same trip Nat was going to propose on! So, naturally they began their engagement session in Patterson Park wearing those same soccer jerseys and Chucks… the perfect way to lend a carefree and energetic feel to their date night in the park with me tagging along!

Movement and an active lifestyle have been a part of their relationship from the beginning: “We me while Ashley was working at the gym - she was behind the front desk on the days that I went to work out. One of the first things I remember, is her kicking me off the squash courts while I was playing with a friend. From there, we met randomly out on Halloween weekend in 2013 and I knew that I wanted to be with her…”

6 REASONS THIS PATTERSON PARK AND FELLS POINT ENGAGEMENT SESSION WILL MAKE YOU SMILE:

1. Their smiles say it all. Ashley + Nat were so fun to be around and relaxed together while exploring the most photogenic parts of Patterson Park! The pond, the pagoda and the boardwalk are such perfect late summer evening spots.

2. Their outfits created such a fun pop of bold, vibrant color against the greenery within the park and the Fells Point waterfront.

3. Ashley wore chucks since she’s most comfortable in them (always DO YOU!) and will be wearing them at their wedding too!

4. What Nat loves most about Ashley: “…her loyalty to me through thick and thin, her constant support for me and no matter her age, she is still a child at heart. She is funny and doesn't know what makes her funny... I love to laugh with her.”

5. What Ashley loves most about Nat: “the way he goofs around with me and watches all my silly shows. He is my go-to when I don't know how my outfit looks or even what to wear that day. But most of all, I love that when I have a bad day at work or I am sad, he gives me a big hug and everything seems a little bit better.”

6. We ended our time in Fells Point on the Broadway Pier with the marquee ‘city pier’ sign at the Pendry in the background; it felt like they were all alone in Fells at that moment, illuminated only by the streetlights!

Here’s the proposal story in Nat’s words; I love how much it shows off both of their personalities and their genuine excitement for this fleeting time in their lives!

”We went to London to see our favorite soccer team play a match. We decided to make a long trip of it and go to London for 4 days and Paris for 3 days. On the second full day in London we went to Westminser Abbey in the morning and I had purchased tickets to go on the London Eye. Late in the evening the night before, I decided that I was going to purpose on the Eye. So I purchased the VIP champagne experience. We were escorted to our capsule and got right on. About a quarter of the way up, I worked up the nerve to do it. At first, she had no idea what happening. All of the sudden she figured out what was happening and started crying which made me emotional; finally I got down on one knee and opened the box. Ashley being Ashley...she reached in and grabbed the ring from it before I could put it on her. We then got to celebrate the rest of the ride with champagne and a complete view of the city. I spent the rest of our trip telling everyone that we got engaged. It didn't matter who they were, they were finding out.”

We can’t wait to be at Wyndridge Farm to celebrate with you, exactly 2 months from today!!!

While we’ve documented weddings at Wyndridge before, this will be our first time taking advantage of The Inn for all the getting ready portraits… so excited for all the spaciousness, natural light and endless views from the patio!

xo,
Naomi