Heidi & Steve’s Library Engagement Session in Alexandria, VA

One of the most fun things about starting a wedding blog has been meeting so many awesome vendors in the DC area. Such is the case with Maggie Winters Photography. You might remember her work from Katie & Andrew’s holi powder anniversary shoot. I also had the pleasure of getting to meet up with her ‘in the flesh’ (that sounds gross, I’m not sure why I used that phrase) and well she is just about as awesome as they make them. I think we hit it off (I hope Maggie agrees) and I was super fangirling over her hot pink hair.

She sent me this awesome Alexandria, VA engagement session ~ that took place in a library (love!) AND she sent me a prospective couple that might be hiring me to help with their wedding, the lovely Heidi & Steve.

 Heidi & Steve’s Alexandria, VA Library Engagement Session

How they met:

A man and a woman meet at a bar… Seriously…

Once upon a time there were two young people who had no idea they existed until one fateful day…

Back in 2009, the weekend of the 4^th of July to be exact. Heidi (me) was invited to go hang out with some friends at a bar, actually it was a nightclub, but who cares. My friends and I were walking from the parking garage to the nightclub in downtown Norfolk when we came upon a red light that told us to stop before we crossed the street. Lo and behold, behind us was a group of young revelers looking for fun that night as well. One of the boisterous crew wearing a fuzzy hat approached me and began the age-old act of hitting on me.

 I was in good spirits and I can’t bluntly turn away anyone wearing a fuzzy hat, so I began to joke with him and I turned him down gently. We were both in good moods despite my having declined his offer to run off to his nightclub and he gave me his name and his number. I pocketed the number and didn’t think twice about the fuzzy hatted man named Maurice.

After quite some time whooping and hollering at the club, my friends and I decided to leave to pick up some more friends at a bar in Portsmouth. I was dubious of course because Portsmouth is not the friendliest place to people who do not frequent the area. But my friends assured me my safety was guaranteed.

We sauntered up to the new bar, which was closed by the way, and found the friends of my friends. But to my surprise the one person I was not expecting to see at the closed bar was Maurice of the fuzzy hat! We met each other as though we were good friends who hadn’t seen each other in a millenium’s age. During our joking back and forth a handsome and debonair man came up and introduced himself as Steve, Maurice’s friend.

Steve immediately caught my attention with his charm and wit; it also helped a great deal when Steve leaned over and whispered in my ear (in perfect Italian mind you), “Your eyes shine brighter than the stars in the skies”. He had me hook, line, and sinker at that point.

My friends insisted we move along after expressing concern with the invitation Steve extended me to an after party. Little did they know Steve and I would end up getting married four years later. But not to be held up by trivialities like having my ride insist I go with them, Steve and I exchanged numbers and began the month long texting marathon until our first date.

Nearly a month after we met we had our first date at a Gogol Bordello concert where we kissed for the first time and from that moment on I knew that he was the one for me.

Click inside for the rest of Heidi & Steve’s adorable library engagement session and their proposal story!

The proposal

Two amazing years later Steve and I and my 2 boys from a previous relationship had moved in together and were on our first family vacation. Disney World welcomed us with open arms and smothered us with pure, All-American family fun! Afterwards Steve stayed in Florida to reconnect with family and old friends while the boys and I headed back to DC.

 Upon Steve’s return he whisked me off to a fabulously romantic dinner at Trattoria Alberto of Capitol Hill. He quietly led me to an empty dining room reminiscent of old Italy. There he got down on his knee and asked me to spend the rest of his life with him.

 I couldn’t conceal the glee and joy bubbling up from my heart with those words. I immediately said, “Yes!” From that moment on, we’ve been closer than ever and cannot wait until November 2, 2013 when we can exchange our vows and forever be joined as husband and wife, or at least until the zombie apocalypse takes out one of us, which we won’t let happen.

Congratulations you two! I have thoroughly enjoyed our email conversations so far, and look forward to hopefully working with you on your wedding next fall! A special thanks again to Maggie Winters Photography for sharing this awesome library engagement session!