It’s hard to believe but this engagement session almost didn’t happen! Catie and Dom wanted a fall session but we weren’t able to schedule their session until mid-November, which meant that peak season for fall foliage would be close to its end. We were afraid the trees would be too bare by then so we almost rescheduled for the spring but Catie really wanted an autumn session so we gave it a shot and I’m so glad we did! The trees were full of color! We chose the campus at Princeton University because it is so reminiscent of the Syracuse University campus, which is where these two met and fell in love. We’re so glad we didn’t pass up the opportunity for this beautiful fall session because I am so in love with these colors! Fall is most definitely one of the prettiest seasons. And you are going to love their pup, she is adorable! I hope you enjoy a few of our favorites from our time together. Catie and Dom, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! We loved spending the afternoon with you and we can’t wait for your Lake Mohawk Country Club Wedding!

How they met: 
Catie: We met through a mutual friend at a party during the beginning of our freshman year at college. I remember thinking he was really cute – until later that night when he had written sloppy messages all over my Facebook wall! He even wrote “Will you marry me?”! Haha! That kind of slowed things down a bit, but Dom was persistent! We became really good friends and eventually he was able to get me out on a date the summer before sophomore year. That’s when we became “official”. I remember I had to tell all my college roommates that the creepy guy wasn’t actually creepy!

Dom: We met our first semester at Syracuse University at a few house parties on the weekends that we both found ourselves at due to having mutual friends.  Truth be told I came on a little strong (after the first night that we met, when I got back to my dorm room I wrote on her Facebook wall “Will you marry me?”) but we were dating a few months later.

Their first date: 
Catie: Our first date was a Yankees/Mets game and I didn’t really know if it was a date! We were friends but had been spending a lot more time together over the summer. I thought Dom had gotten the tickets from a friend but later found out he paid a ton of money for them because he knew there was no way I would turn down a Yankee game! When I heard the real story, I knew he was a keeper.

Dom: It was predicated on a lie, which is probably a terrible way to start a relationship, but it was a harmless lie.  Our first date was a Mets vs. Yankees game at Yankee Stadium back in 2006.  This was when the Yankees played at the old Yankee Stadium and Subway Series tickets were very hard to come by.  I did not have tickets to this game, but told Catie that I had tickets to the game through my dad’s work and I invited her to come with me, since I knew she was a Yankee fan and I am a die-hard Mets fan.  I figured it would be a great first date and didn’t want her to think I was so desperate for a date with her that I would be willing spend hundreds of dollars of my own money (at the time I was just a poor college kid), just for a date with her.  I drove my friend Michael and Catie into the Bronx and we were tailgating in the parking lot prior to going into the stadium when my friend accidentally locked my keys into the trunk.  Catie waited with me for over an hour for AAA to come, luckily the game was delayed about 45 minutes because of the threat of rain that never happened, and we were able to get into the stadium without missing a pitch.  I also distinctly remember the Mets won that game and we still managed to have a good time.

When they knew:
Catie: I knew Dom was the one early on – I had never met someone who I clicked with so much in every way. But, the night before I left to study abroad for a few months in France was the moment that I felt 100% sure. It was just after New Year’s and I was feeling really anxious about the trip. I was nervous to be away from home for so long and even more upset that we would be away from each other for so long. We had been dating about a year and things were still relatively new. But Dom came to my parents and stayed over night. He spent the whole night talking with me, reassuring me, and even already planning his spring break to come and see me. Even though we were about to be thousands of miles apart, I never felt closer to someone. I knew then I had found my soul mate.

Dom: Well, according to my first answer and that Facebook post it was the first night we met, but in reality, there was a week in the fall of my junior year that was arguably the most difficult time of my life that really changed my relationship with Catie.  My sister, who also went to Syracuse and was a freshman at the time, was having terrible stomach aches and went to the hospital in the middle of the night during midterms which resulted in her having an emergency appendectomy.  My mom drove up from Northern NJ and spent that entire first night by her side without getting any sleep.  The next afternoon, my mom was in my tiny dorm room to take a quick nap before going back to the hospital to visit my sister when she got a call and found out she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  The timing to get that news was terrible since my dad was about 4 hours away, she was running on practically no sleep, and she needed to be up in Syracuse to be with my sister for at least a few more days until my sister was released.  That whole week Catie gave up her bedroom in her apartment for my mom and went out of her way to make sure my mom felt like she was at home while being there for my sister for anything she needed.  I look back at that time and think about how selfless and genuinely caring Catie was and realize that’s when she went from being my girlfriend to being family.

The proposal: 
Catie: The night of the proposal, Dom had told me his work was having a fundraiser dinner and he thought we should go. He got home from work that day and said he was going to change and then we would leave. He went into the bedroom and called our dog, Winnie, in to say hi (she had just gotten groomed that day, so I figured he wanted to see how cute she was with her new haircut). From the bedroom I hear him telling me to call the dog, and I figured she was getting in his way so I call her out and she is wearing a different collar than what she normally wears. I’m really confused so I go to look closer and I see the tag on the collar says “Will you marry me?” Dom comes walking about behind her and starts to get down on one knee. At that moment, we both lose it and of course the rest is history! But, my favorite part of the engagement is that after that he surprised me with both of our families waiting for us at the “fundraiser”! It was so amazing being able to celebrate with our families such a special moment!

Dom: I knew I wanted to propose at some point this past summer, but the biggest thing for me was that I didn’t want her to see it coming.  I wanted her to have her breath taken away, and I kept trying to plan elaborate ways to propose that never seemed to come to fruition.  The anniversary of when we officially started dating is August 14th, and I ultimately decided she would never see it coming if I were to propose the night before our anniversary.  We adopted our Shihtzu Winnie back in March and Catie is obsessed with her.  I knew I wanted to incorporate Winnie into the proposal somehow, I was figuring I’d just go for a walk with Catie and Winnie and then either get down on one knee after pretending to pick up some dog poop or put the ring on Winnie’s collar, but none of those things seemed great.  I had an epiphany the afternoon I proposed while picking up Catie’s ring (I picked it up from the jeweler 45 minutes before I proposed – it was burning a hole in my pocket).  I decided to get “Will You Marry Me?” engraved on a heart shaped dog tag and put it on Winnie in the back room of our apartment and have Catie call Winnie out to see it.  Everything went to plan – she was totally caught off guard.  I had Catie’s family and my family head to a local restaurant in Morristown to meet us after I proposed, which was an added surprise for her since I had previously told her that we were going to be going to a fundraiser dinner with my coworkers that night.

One thing they love about each other: 
Catie: One thing I’ve always loved about Dom is his ability to make me laugh, even when I’m frustrated or upset. He never ceases to find a way to lift the mood and make me see the humor in things, because sometimes I think I can take things too seriously.

Dom:  I love that we love so many of the same things and we will be able to continue to share those interests with one another for the rest of our lives.

Besides getting married, what they are looking forward to on their wedding day: 
Catie: I’m really looking forward to the moment when we walk down the aisle as husband and wife! I always love that moment at a wedding, the bride and groom look so blissful and I can’t wait to experience that moment with Dom. I also can’t wait to celebrate with all of our family and friends!

Dom:  I’m looking forward to bringing all of the family and friends, the majority of whom we aren’t able to see nearly as much as we would like, all together in one place to celebrate!

NJ Fall Engagement Photos by NJ Wedding Photographer Idalia Photography, a husband and wife photography team based in Central New Jersey. Contact us for more information.