Meet Lauren and John! Our sweet couple has known each other since high school thanks to a mutual friend who happened to be Lauren’s neighbor. John and Lauren’s neighbor went to the same school so John was always around, but Lauren and John were just friends then. It wasn’t until after college that these two reconnected thanks to the wedding of their friend where Lauren was John’s “Plus 1”! Now Lauren is John’s forever Plus 1 and these two couldn’t be happier about it!

You’ll be able to read details of Lauren and John’s love story below. They have been engaged since May 2016 and booked us just a little over a year ago so this engagement session was long-awaited!! We’ve been enjoying following along with Lauren and John on Instagram and love that Lauren loves tagging John in photos when she wants him to see something. It’s the cutest thing! I can tell they are having so much fun planning their wedding!!

For their engagement session, we planned a mini-circuit around Hoboken starting at Stevens Institute, where John went to school. We incorporated the castle gate and one of the prettiest buildings on campus before meeting up with Foxy, Lauren and John’s dog. Foxy had been practicing posing for photos and did a fantastic job making her parents proud! Foxy is undoubtedly one of the best-behaved dogs I’ve had the pleasure of working with – wait until you see how photogenic she is! I also have to give a shout-out to Lauren’s bestie who was so helpful that day. After spending some time on campus, we headed to Elysian Park and then down to the Hoboken waterfront before ending the session at Cork City, another favorite spot for Lauren and John. Looking back at these images, I’m so impressed that we were able to pack so much into this session, even with doggy shots and an Uber ride, too. Here are a few favorites from our time together – enjoy their feature on our blog today as you await their wedding next fall! They’ll be tying the knot at Olde Mill Inn and we can’t wait!!

Hoboken NJ Engagement Session

Their first date

After going to the wedding together as friends, we really hit it off. Our first date was supposed to be the following weekend at Carton Brewing in Atlantic Highlands, but we couldn’t wait that long so we went to the movies on the following Wednesday to see the movie Guilt Trip. Our second date was at the brewery that Saturday, and then the rest is history.

The Proposal

We had gotten tickets to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime on Broadway, and unbeknownst to John, it was a pretty serious and, at times, sad play. I had read the book in high school and was dying to see the play before it left the theater. After the play, we headed back to Hoboken where we were going to quickly meet up with friends before going to dinner. We met them at Pier A near the water to exchange belated birthday presents. John then asked them if they could take a picture of us in front of the passing sailboats. Since John never asks to take pictures anywhere (it’s always my doing), I knew immediately that something was up. He started to pull me close and whisper things into my ear like how much he loved me and how he wanted to be with me for the rest of his life. He then went down on one knee and I was shaking and crying so much, his question and my response are still pretty blurry. I even had to double check afterwards that I said yes! After he put the ring on my finger, I started to ask him so many questions like how long has he been planning this, who knows already, did he ask my father for permission, etc. Our friends who were meeting us there knew and the belated birthday present was actually an engagement present. They were there to capture the moment for us and share a bottle of champagne at the restaurant. After a delicious dinner, we met up with more of our friends at our favorite bar, which also ended up being a part of our engagement photos.

All about the ring

The center stone of my ring is actually from John’s grandmother’s ring. John had been saving for an engagement ring and didn’t know about his grandmother’s ring until his mom brought it up to him and said she would like us to have it. He then took her ring and chose a new setting that was closer to what Lauren had shown him in the past. I love the fact that the diamond has been in the family for so long and has so much sentimental value. I also love how unique the band is when you look at it from the side. I feel like this is a given, but I love how much it sparkles everywhere I go!

One thing they love about each other

I love the fact that no matter what happens, John always reminds me that we’re in this together. Besides being in love, we have this amazing partnership in everything that we do. Even going to the supermarket is fun because we’re doing it together and he’s my best friend. -Lauren

She’s my best friend, and I always want to do everything with her. I love that she cares so much about everything I do, even if she hates it, she still cares and encourages me. -John

Besides being married, one thing they’re looking forward to on their wedding day

Cocktail hour and sharing the night with all of our closest friends and family. -Lauren

Seeing Lauren in her dress. -John

Did you enjoy Lauren and John’s engagement session? Click here to view more engagements and love stories!