We’re so excited to shoot Lauren and Taylor’s upcoming Jacksonville Beach wedding in the fall!  Despite the recent cold weather, we were able to squeeze in a sunny day at the beach for their engagement session.  These two live a block away from the beach and wanted their engagement session to reflect their beach lifestyle they love so much.  Brides always tell their love story better than I could write it, so here’s a little interview all about why they are excited to marry each other!

• Q. How did you and Taylor meet?

  A. Taylor and I met while we were both in college. Taylor went to UCF and I went to UF and it turned out that we had some mutual friends. Taylor was visiting a friend of his that went to UF and a friend of mine and I had gone over to stop by and see this guy because she was interested in him. It turned out that nothing ever happened between the two friends, but they say that you could sense the energy in the room shift when Taylor and I met. I could tell there was something about him immediately and I knew I was in trouble. We started talking on the phone frequently and saw each other every time he visited his friends, and after 6 months we had become best friends, made it official, and have been together ever since.
• Q. How did he propose?
  A. Taylor is super sweet and thoughtful and always wanted the engagement to be a surprise. We both knew that after being together for over 5 years that the time was coming, but I had no idea when. This year we decided to take our first big trip as a couple. We have had the opportunity to go on many fabulous trips with our family and friends, but none just the two of us. Neither of us had ever been to California and San Francisco was a city that always was on top of our travel list. We booked the trip in March and Taylor said that he instantly knew that he was going to propose before we left and started planning.On the night before we left, we were finishing up packing early to get ready for bed because we had a very early flight. Taylor suggested that we take a walk on the beach before we settle down for the night, which is something we often do on week nights after work, and that specific week we had every single night because the weather was so perfect. Again it was a beautiful night, right at sunset, and after walking about 5 blocks Taylor led me up towards the dunes where a blanket and picnic basket were set out. He got down on one knee in front of the blanket, I kept saying “Are you serious”, eventually I said yes, he sat me down while I was crying and pulled out of the basket my favorite flowers, our favorite champagne, and his music player that played a playlist he made of all the songs that make him think of me. There was no one else on the beach, and we sat there and had champagne while the sunset. It was perfect.

• Q. Bride, what do you love most about your groom?

  A. It would be impossible to really put into words how much I love Taylor. He is my best friend and the absolute love of my life. One of the best things about Taylor is his sense of humor. No one can make me laugh like him. Whether he is laughing at himself, making fun of some silly situation we have gotten ourselves into, or just randomly joking around, he is always laughing and having fun. I know with him I will be laughing for the rest of my life. There is just something about Taylor that makes people gravitate to him, he can make friends with anyone, always goes out of his way to make people feel comfortable, and has the natural ability to light up a room with his fun and laid back attitude. I love that Taylor has a tough and manly side, but also a sweet and romantic side. Taylor is protective and makes me feel safe. Taylor brings out the best in me and makes me a better person. Taylor is so determined and dedicated to whatever it may be that he puts his mind to, whether it is work, his health and fitness, or some random research project he takes on. Taylor is so intelligent and has this fabulous curiosity, he is always finding a new topic that he wants to learn more about. I love that Taylor is always willing to jump in or run off to do something fun, but when it comes to important matters he is so cautious and practical. I love that Taylor is confidant and so comfortable with who he is. He can go from talking football and joking around with the guys to talking about the latest fashions with the girls. Everyday of my life Taylor gives me the two things I think are most important in life, love and laughter. What more can a girl ask for? And lets be honest, the good looks don’t hurt either. ☺
• Q. Groom, what do you love most about your bride?

  A. (In no particular order)1. Lauren has the kindest soul I have ever felt. She wholeheartedly loves her family, friends, and most importantly loves life. She is a delight to be around.

  2. I love her positive energy, it can be felt when she walks into a room and it’s beautiful.

  3. Laugh, laugh, and laugh some more is the theme in Lauren and I’s relationship. She constantly makes me laugh, I love it.

  4. She is absolutely gorgeous, even though we have been together the better part of 6 years, she continues to take my breath away, I am truly a lucky guy.
• Q. If you have kids in the future, what advice would you give your kids about waiting for the right “one”?

  A. I believe that you do not need to search for the “one”, when you find them you will know. I will tell my children that what you feel for that person is unlike anything you have felt before and can’t be put into words. Once you find the “one”, love them with every fiber of your being, cherish them everyday, and never ever let them go.

Ross vividly remembers the day he first set his eyes on the woman he had no idea would become his bride.  Kacy happen to walk past Ross’s cubical and he did an immediate 180 to see the beauty that just passed by.  Though there was a mutual attraction, the two became friends for about three years playing volleyball on the beach, taking trips to Gainesville to watch the Gators play, hours talking on the phone and hanging out with mutual friends.  Through their long chats “just as friends” they began to have deep conversations about their personal walks with God, their goals, advice, etc.  While everyone encouraged them to date, they simply remained friends and Ross soon left to move to south Florida for work.  They continued to speak every month or so, and through Kacy’s encouragement, Ross started attending church and grew into a deep relationship with Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  It was during this time that Ross learned to put God first, while at the same time Kacy was also drawing nearer to God.  Although both of them did not realize it at the time, God was using this period to prepare them for one another. It wasn’t until they reconnected while Ross was in Jacksonville during a weekend in March 2012, that they realized God’s perfect plan was for them to be together!  Over the holidays, Ross proposed to Kacy in Charleston and now they plan to have a short engagement so excited to begin their lives together and get rid of the distance of being in two different locations.

“We just want God’s presence to be known,” said Kacy when asked about their wedding plans.  ”We just want it to be about Him and how He brought us together.”  Kacy, 32, also wants single girls to be encouraged by her story that true love is worth the wait.  ”You just have to wait on God, I keep telling my girlfriends that,” Kacy said. “As hard as it was to wait, I mean, look at what He brought me in the end, HELLO!  He’s hot!” she said with a giggle and a blush.

Not only is Kacy now one of our lovely brides, she is also one of my best friends, and was a bridesmaid in our wedding, and I couldn’t be happier for my beautiful friend! Here’s some of our favorites from her and Ross’s engagement session!

For the last photo shoot in Jen & Steve’s 3-part Engagement Session, we joined them (and their fur children) in their home of New York.  They took us to some of their favorite spots such as the infamous LOVE sign, the Meat Packing District, some fun grafitti walls, and we couldn’t finish without a classic B&W photo of the Brooklyn Bridge lit up in the background.  We had a blast traveling the world with them for all their different engagement photo shoot spots, and we’re excited to travel next to Miami for their gorgeous wedding!  Here’s some of our favorites from their New York photo shoot!

p.s. Please says a cat prayer for her darling Roo below, who is like a child to Jen.  Last week Jen found out he has kidney disease with only a few months left to live, and we’ve all been devastated by the news.

Manhattan on Dwellable

To continue on with Jen & Steve’s 3-part engagement session, this time, we joined them in the Bahamas for a weekend to travel to a private island for their photos.  Here’s some of our favorites from the 2-day adventure in paradise.