Kate and Nick had a beautiful engagement session at Cross Estate Gardens in Bernardsville, NJ earlier this month and let me tell you– there is no better feeling than getting to share in celebrating the love story of two longtime friends. I have known Kate and Nick for over 20 years now! Nick and I grew up going to church and youth group together and Kate and I had done orchestra together (violins unite!) since the third grade.  While I’ve been friends with each of them individually for nearly two decades and loved them both then, I love them even more so as a couple and I am SO honored to be the photographer for their wedding. I am beyond excited to share a sneak peek from their session with you today and tell you a little bit more about their love story!

How They Met.

Kate and Nick have known each other for a long time. So long that they don’t even remember the exact moment that they met for the first time. They said that they have always kind of known each other and started hanging out with the same group of friends shortly after college (even though we all went to high school together).

For their first official date, they went to dinner at Fetch in Warwick, NJ. After a delicious dinner, they went over to a friends house to watch Breaking Bad. After hanging out with friends for a while and watching the show, Nick turned to Kate and asked her if she wanted to be his girlfriend. She, of course, said yes!

The Proposal.

The BIG moment happened while Kate and Nick were in Salem, Massachusetts for a weekend getaway. They spent the day exploring the town and learning about the Salem Witch Trials of 1692 (which, if you know Kate, is pretty dang exciting – she’s an English teacher in high school and after having many English AP classes with her growing up, I know lit is her thing! After a visit to the home of Nathaniel Hawthorne, they walked out by a small, old lighthouse. They both stood there and watched the water as people passed by. Kate noticed Nick pause and waited where they were standing for a moment. As Kate looked back, this was him waiting for a more private moment without tons of people passing by. Nick found the perfect moment and got down on one knee, asking Kate to marry him!

I remember seeing all this unfold on Facebook shortly after it happened and dancing around the room with joy.  Following that, I read a poem Kate wrote for Nick about their love and was brought to tears. At this point, I knew just how special their love was.

Their Relationship.

When Kate and Nick told me about their perfect date night, it all started with going to a place that served Kate’s favorite extra dirty gin martinis. It was adorable hearing this from Kate, she said that it is because Nick just wants to make her happy! But if they are not going out on the town, their perfect date involves getting snuggled up on the couch, under cozy blankets, watching a good movie and enjoying a nice drink!

I cannot tell you enough wonderful things about these two. Their energy is amazing – so easy going and relaxed. You can tell they are so comfortable with one another and love each other so much! From going on a hike to playing video games on the couch, they love it all! Anything that allows them to enjoy each other’s company makes them happy (and between jobs with crazy schedules and Kate in grad school, time together is hard to come by, so every moment is truly cherished!)

It is such an honor to get to share their love story and be a part of the celebration of this relationship!

Kate and Nick, thank you for allowing me to tell your story here and photograph this amazing time in your lives together. I cannot wait for the adventures that are to come for the two of you, and be there as a friend and photographer to document it all! I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!