Elyse & Brad’s Casual, Backyard Engagement Session in DC

So any couple who’s wedding website is “www.mostawesomestwedding.com” is a couple I want to feature on Capitol Romance.  Add in the fact that their wedding is being photographed by Amber of Live It Out Photography, and well, we all know I am probably going to fangirl out about this couple and their pictures. [ok, not probably, 100% most definitely]

For this afternoon, we get to share Brad & Elsye’s adorable backyard engagement session, love story, and proposal story. Elsye also sent me a copy of their save the date, and I am totally sharing that too. It is one of those awesome “love story save-the-dates” that I really, really adore, and am insanely jealous of. I think they are just too cool for school.

Elyse & Brad’s Adorable Backyard Engagement Session

A “How We Met” story:

Brad was in a band and living with his buddies. Elyse was enjoying her single social life and living with her parents. Life was fun. Life was easy.

Then in the summer of 2007, while Elyse was working as a marketing manager at a think tank in DC, this smug computer programmer walked in and changed her life.

The two flirted quite a bit at work (which was kind of unprofessional in hindsight). They started IMing. Which led to texting. Which led to hanging out in real life. But nothing romantic was happening and Elyse was moving soon to Minneapolis to start advertising school—so the two assumed that maybe they were destined to be just friends.

Boyyyyyy were they wrong. At happy hour on Elyse’s last day of work, Brad amped up his game (finally). He showed up with a sunflower to wish her goodbye and good luck. Elyse proceeded to get a bit tipsy and later that night bullied Brad, asking him “Why don’t you LIKE me like me?” He told her that he did like her, like her. And that was that.

The couple did the long distance thing for a year and a half. Brad was flying to Minneapolis a lot—EVEN in the winter (now that’s love). In the spring of 2009, the lovebirds moved into their own nest in Arlington, Virginia (a block away from where they met). And in the spring of 2010, the two shocked their families and friends and U-hauled their hineys out to Minneapolis—where they now live in their new home with their cat, Puck.

And now the “how we met story” in save-the-date form. So awesome, right?

Hope you guys enjoy the rest of this adorable engagement shoot as much as I do ~ thanks again to the wonderfully talented Amber of Live It Out Photography for sharing!

I love these shots with the tree, which Amber dubbed the fire tree … because it magically caught fire during the shoot!

 The Proposal Story:

Sunday, November 7, 2010 began like any other Sunday morning—well, for the first 10 minutes at least. Elyse woke up slowly, noticing that Brad was already up and at’em (nothing unusual there). She got up and peeked around the apartment for him. Hmmm. That’s odd. He must have run out to get breakfast or do errands or something. Groggily, Elyse wandered around the apartment until she noticed a note on the door. The note told Elyse she was going on a very special scavenger hunt around Minneapolis that morning so to put on her cutest outfit and text him when she was starting.

Instantly, Elyse had butterflies. Why did she have to get dressed up? What did this romantic guy have up his sleeves this time?

Soon enough, Brad had her racing all over Minneapolis (and beyond), completing tasks, taking photos and texting him the answers to his cryptic clues. Eventually, she wound up at the Cherry Spoon sculpture in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Soon she saw Brad emerging with a bunch of pink roses. She hugged him and kissed him, thanking him for the fun little scavenger hunt surprise, asking where they were going to go and get brunch.

Brad let her know that the surprise wasn’t over yet. He then he got down on one knee and presented Elyse with the most beautiful diamond engagement ring. The stone was the same stone his father used to propose to his mother, over 40 years earlier. Brad had picked the setting himself.

Elyse was in shock. And of course she said yes (after putting on the ring and being reminded by Brad that she hadn’t technically said yes, yet).

Brad was a little upset that Elyse didn’t cry immediately—since she cries watching the Biggest Loser and most Hallmark commercials. But she was just so surprised. Once they took a walk around Loring Park and reality set in, a couple tears came along with a deep wave of happiness, disbelief, joy and excitement.

Later in the afternoon, once their heart rates returned to normal, the two called their families and friends. And even later still, Elyse learned that her friend Jackie had been hiding in the bushes during the entire proposal—snapping photos. She’d captured each moment beautifully from the sidelines, giving them photos of a moment they will never forget.

Click inside to see the rest of this adorable, backyard engagement session.

her shoes!! i am obsessed.

love this next shot. so much love happening here

i’ve said it once, and i will say it again ~ personally, i feel like stylized engagement shoots are getting out of hand. not every couple wants to hold inanimate objects and dress to the 9’s … i also feel like too many wedding blogs are not featuring shoots like this BECAUSE they are not “styled” … I say ‘bah-humbug’ to them … these types of engagement shoots, ones that focus completely on the couple, their own sense of style, and their absolute love for each other, are my favorite. And, no one captures it better than Amber of Live It Out Photo.

Eskimo kisses!!

Congratulations Elyse & Brad ~ thank you so much for sharing your love story with us today! I cannot wait to see your wedding pictures! A special thank you to Amber of Live It Out Photo for sharing this gorgeous engagement pictures with us!