As a DC wedding photographer, blogging anything other than weddings and sessions can feel off key. But as of last week, I am officially caught up blogging all my 2022 weddings and engagement sessions! So now I get the chance to catch my breath and tell more personal stories while wedding season 2023 ramps up.

Love stories are my specialty. And I realize many of you might know I got married in 2022 myself, but may not know our own love story. But my story is what inspires me to capture yours with more intention, authenticity, and enthusiasm. So in a way, our story is your story… it’s how I connect with my sweet ENP Couples on shared values and experiences.

Kevin and I just celebrated six months of marriage. They say the first year of marriage is the hardest. I’ve often found myself wondering, what is so hard? My husband is great!! But then I have moments where I totally see it (I know Kev does too).

But in this season I’m learning to take it in stride and focus on the little lessons marriage is teaching me. At the forefront right now is “Gratitude for the small things.” It’s so easy to go day-by-day and forget to say thank you for the small efforts made by your spouse. Or even feel grateful for the small ordinary moments that brought you to the joy you feel today.

In that spirit, I am so thankful for how our story began. What seemed like a rainy, grumpy first date with a stranger eventually turned into a beautiful story that changed my life forever. So I’m sharing it with you in hopes you see glimpses of your own story in ours. I hope it encourages you to look back with gratitude for the ordinary moments that turned into an extraordinary life.

The Beginning

To tell this story, I have to share that I never wanted to move to Washington, D.C. I did not really see myself succeeding as a Washington DC wedding photographer, and truthfully, I wasn’t even a serious photographer yet! When I graduated college, I searched high and low for a communications job to put that bachelors to work. After a few months of difficulty landing interviews, I expanded my search out of state and prayed to God. Please give me a job anywhere in the U.S., just don’t make me move to California, New York, or Washington, D.C.

God has a sense of humor though. A friend of mine was moving for a job in D.C. and encouraged me to apply in the city to move with her. I laughed her off until my well continued to run dry of leads. The very first job I applied for in D.C., I got an interview. That interview led to a job offer. My options were limited, so I was D.C. bound.

How I Met My Husband

Fast forward a two years and it’s December 2019. I had a community and church, but still longed for a life partner. I tried online dating and eventually found Hinge to be my favorite app. After many failed first dates, I finally swiped on a picture of a guy with a charming smile, holding a bowling ball in the White House bowling alley. We chatted through the app for a bit before agreeing to meet for coffee.

The day our coffee date came around, I was in an awful mood. It was pouring rain and cold. And I was fed up with my D.C. job and longing for my business to take off. I almost cancelled. But I didn’t. When I walked into Dolcezza, Kevin was already sitting there with a cup of coffee. I ordered mine and we began the usual “first date” question and answer session.

Conversation was easy and pleasant. But I’ll admit nothing seemed that special at first. Until that awkward pause… will we end the date or try to change the scenery? Kevin offered to change the scenery, and I thought he was nuts. He asked if I wanted to take a walk. Mind you… it was POURING. I asked where, and he suggested the White House. Still enchanted by the history of this city, I agreed.

A Cold, Rainy Walk (Down Penn Ave First, Then Down Memory Lane)

He offered his arm and held his umbrella over me as we walked. This clearly was the first thing that melted my heart. What can I say? I’m a sucker for chivalrous gestures. As we walked, Kevin had no trouble filling the silence. Anyone that knows us would chuckle at that. Kevin is a talker 😉

He shared fascinating historical facts about the White House. I just looked at him in amazement. He had such a cheerful sparkle in his eye when he shared fun facts. It was endearing and nerdy and adorable. Then we walked back to the parking garage where I left my car and said our goodbyes. I hoped at that point I’d see him again. And no spoiler here… we definitely made plans shortly after that!

If you know anything about our wedding day, you know it poured like cats and dogs. But on our wedding day, it brought us back to that first stroll down Penn Ave. It was a sweet symbolic memory for us, even though I still would have wished for some sunshine both times.

So that’s our beginning! Your DC wedding photographer and her husband were an online dating, Hinge success story. Many of our couples also met online, and I feel like we have a special bond because of it. But no matter how your story began, I’m sure those first impression moments are still memorable. I know they were for us.

If you’d like to learn more about us, click here! Or stay tuned for future posts sharing more of Our Story.