Happy Friday! I’m so excited to end the week on the blog with Lydia and Ryan’s engagement session because Ryan is actually Jay’s cousin!! He was a teenager when I first met him and it’s hard to believe that now he is preparing to marry the love of his life! We’re so excited for these two, and we can’t wait to capture their wedding day in May. It’s going to be quite an occasion!

Ryan met Lydia on their college class Facebook page the summer before they went off to college. They quickly became good friends and two years later, they decided to finally admit they were better together. They now live in Virginia and they’re planning their wedding at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg, VA. They envision a simple, clean, and elegant wedding and are working with Rachel from The One Moment Events to help make it happen. Lydia and Ryan lead really busy lives so they’re very thankful to have such a talented wedding planner to help bring their vision to life. I can’t wait to see it all come together!

For their engagement session, Lydia and Ryan chose Princeton University. We love this campus for its elegant grounds and beautiful architecture, and we were thankful to have such a pretty backdrop for these two. Enjoy this peek into our time with them!

Hair and Makeup | The Updo Guru

Their first date

Ryan and I have different stories for this lol. He says I turned him down 3 times before saying yes to a date and that we then went to Olive Garden (he won me over with the breadsticks). I recall our first date being a visit to the local animal shelter to play with the kittens. Whatever version took place first worked because after that, we were inseparable.

When they knew they had found the one

Ryan’s answer: Whether Lydia knows it or not, I had a feeling she was the one early on before we even started dating. (Yes, I had a big crush on her before she even knew it).  I think it is extremely important to be your life partners friend before you jump into being their significant other. Our friendship prior to dating was always surrounded by positive and fun experiences. Once we started dating those same experiences continued to follow. Still, day in and day out we share moments that compliment each other and make life easy. I’m not sure if I can pinpoint an exact moment, or exact day, but everyday spent together leading up to the day I proposed allowed me to see that I don’t want anything or anyone else to share my life with.

Lydia’s answer: From day one I always knew there was something special about our relationship and how we complimented one another so effortlessly. When Ryan sat me down during our senior year of college to tell me he was going to join the Coast Guard (I always thought he was joking before that) and we decided to take on that journey together, I knew he was the one. Long distance and little to no communication was never something I was a fan of but for Ryan, I didn’t think twice. That’s when I knew.

The proposal

Let’s just say, I’m hard to surprise and Ryan’s not good at lying. I knew something was “up” for months because of the way he was acting. I found out about his first 2 (maybe 3) plans to propose because my friends, mom and Ryan aren’t good at keeping secrets or being discrete. On the day of the proposal my mom told me she was traveling up the mountain to meet a friend and would call me around lunch. When I never heard from her I began to worry and checked her location on Find My Friends to find her in my apartment! That tipped me off big time to knowing something was up! After work that day Ryan asked me if I wanted to “go on a walk”, that’s when I knew! My parents lake house is my “happy place” and has played a big role in Ryan and I’s relationship over the years as that’s where he truly became a part of my family. Because of my love for the lake, Ryan proposed on a beautiful bridge at a small lake nearby our apartment.

All about the ring

The ring is all of my dream rings pinned on a Pinterest combined into one! Once we discussed the topic of marriage Ryan asked me to save all of the things I wanted in a ring onto a Pinterest board for him, so I did! And man oh man did he nail it!

One thing they love about each other

Ryan’s answer: I love that Lydia is understanding, determined and honest. She has the ability to sincerely listen to what I, or anyone, has to say and then equally as important give her honest opinion about it. She stands up for what she believes in which I think is not only important, but extremely attractive. I am extremely fortunate to be able to spend the rest of my life with someone as beautiful as Lydia inside and out; who brings so much to our relationship but is strong and independent in her own right.

Lydia’s answer:  I love that Ryan is patient, kind and genuine. Those three qualities are hard to come by nowadays and I am beyond blessed to be able to spend the rest of my life with someone who embodies those qualities so effortlessly everyday. If you’ve ever met Ryan, you just know right away that he has a good soul, and for that, I love him!