AH! SPRING HAS SPRUNG!! Claire and Mike’s engagement session at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens is one of my absolute favorites to date in my career.  Not only are Claire and Mike two of the most kind-hearted people imaginable, but they planned ahead, dressed AMAZINGLY, are super in love and were just totally up for anything.  They made ME feel so welcome as their photographer and I was so happy to receive Claire’s email afterward about how comfortable they felt during the session. When they filled out on their questionnaire that they wanted to do their engagement pictures at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens I quickly Googled it to see what was in store.  I think my jaw dropped and then I immediately started praying for things to be blossoming when we were there! (This spring has been so hit or miss with timing!)

 

Claire and I were texting for the days leading up to the shoot because the forecast was showing 100% rain.  And my gosh were they right! We decided to “go for it anyway” and endure whatever weather was going to be thrown at us.  Driving to Brooklyn in a monsoon all the way from Vernon is NOT pleasant and took almost 3 hours, but when I stepped out of the car, the heavens opened up and not a SINGLE raindrop fell! They had perfectly bright grey skies, and we looked a bit silly carrying around 5 umbrellas (we both brought some ha!) but I literally couldn’t imagine the timing of the rain working out any better for us!

 

I walked into the administrative building to meet them and the second I walked in I think I happy danced through the doors because of how amazing they were dressed! Claire wore a beautiful flowy skirt and top from BHLDN and Mike was super dapper in dress clothes to compliment.  I kept telling them over and over how amazing they looked and now I think I have to go to BHLDN and buy Claire’s outfit… =)

 

We started out in the Magnolia trees right by the entrance which were ALL in bloom and it looked absolutely spectacular!! There were pinks and white and they matched Claire and Mike perfectly!! I kept saying how inspired I was and I seriously felt like a kid in a candy shop because of all the beautiful locations and beautiful subjects I had in front of me — photographer’s dream!!

 

Right from the get go, they were amazing at everything I told them to do.  They are so happy and in love and I am 10000% certain they were made for each other! Their story honestly had me in tears when they shared it with me because 1.) it’s absolutely adorable and 2.) Mike’s proposal is SO GOOD.

 

So without further ado, let me share their story with you!

 

How They Met

They met in 2011 at St. John’s University School of Law. They started orientation in August, and Mike noticed Claire in the orientation room. He thought they had made eye contact from across the room, but Claire wasn’t wearing her glasses, so she couldn’t fully see him or realize they made eye contact! At some point, Claire introduced herself to him when they were in a group of other new students. They were friendly, ate lunch with a regular group, but didn’t really seek each other out. At their law school semi-formal (about a month in) they had an impromptu dance-off that ended with Mike asking for Claire’s number. The rest is history.

 

Their First Date

Their first date was dinner and a movie about a week after semi-formal. Mike was sweet enough to pick Claire up in Queens and accidentally took the wrong exit! The exit before her’s is for the Throgs Neck Bridge so he had to go over the bridge and back to get to her. They went to see Drive (with Ryan Gosling) and ended up thinking the moving was a little ridiculous. The weekend after their first date they decided to go to Benihana after it somehow came up in conversation that they both loved it. Claire said Mike was very quiet during the meal, but she didn’t think too much of it. After dinner, they were in the parking lot walking towards his car. He stopped and asked Claire if she’d be his girlfriend!! She mentioned that he was quiet during dinner and realized it was nerves. Okay seriously….adorable.

 

And then, the proposal in Claire’s words

“He had told me in advance of our getaway weekend that he wanted to plan out what we would do. I thought this was interesting, but I was very excited to let him plan. On September 16, we were a little late leaving the hotel for the day. I didn’t know at the time, but he had called ahead and knew our favorite vineyard was hosting a wedding and would close to the public at one. He’s usually a very cautious driver, but he was speeding and passing people on the Main Road. We got to Bedell Cellars and he wanted to take a picture right away. We walked down onto the grassy area, and I noticed someone standing off to the side taking pictures of the vines. Mike walked over to this person and asked if he’d take a picture of us. He took a picture on Mike’s phone and then Mike asked him to take a picture with my phone. When Mike walked back he had taken out headphones and was handing them to me so that I could listen to something on his phone.

 

I remember thinking that this would be the moment, but I was confused because a stranger was waiting to take our picture. I put the headphones in and it was a recording of Mike asking my dad if he could propose. He had his brother-in-law help him edit the audio so that it played over the song we had our dance-off to at semi-formal (superbass, haha). At one point, Mike took one of the earbuds so he could listen to what part I was up to. I saw him take the ring box out of his pocket, and then it’s all a bit of a blur. Luckily, the “stranger” was actually a friend of his who had offered to drive out and take pictures! He recorded the whole thing, so I know that Mike went down on one knee, showed me the ring, and I said yes! We celebrated with a wine tasting and some cheese and then went out for brunch. It was such a blur but so exciting and thoughtful!”

 

———–

 

Okay, seriously? I cried reading that, and I felt it in my throat when they told me the story again over dinner after their session. AH-MAZING. And then Mike said to me “since you like sentimental stuff, wanna hear another story?”

 

They guy who took the pictures was someone Mike knew from years ago, and met again on the train to work.  They guy offered to take pictures, and since he wasn’t in their current friend circle, Claire wouldn’t recognize him.  There was another woman next to them on the train (a stranger at the time) who said “Are you getting engaged tomorrow!?” and squealed of excitement when Mike said he was! The next time he rode the train, he told the woman the story, and now the three of them (Mike, the woman, and the man who photographed the proposal) ride the train together every day and they’re BOTH coming to the wedding! If that isn’t a story, I don’t know what is!!! Mike – you’re awesome!

 

Claire and Mike, thank you for making my job SO EASY and such a JOY! I seriously cannot wait to be a part of your wedding day and I know you two are meant for each other. Your Brooklyn Botanic Garden engagement session was one of my absolute favorites and I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do!!  I can’t wait to see you in August!!