Their Session: Historic Smithville Park, NJ

I was sooo excited for Madeline and John’s spring Historic Smithville Park engagement session! It’s such a fun location with the perfect mix of architecture and nature! These two were such a blast from minute one, and I loved getting to see the moments where they just lit up looking at one another! You can tell how comfortable they make each other feel, and that being held by their person is so natural for them!

These two have been so thoughtful and supportive since they reached out, and the message they sent me when choosing me as their wedding photographer is one that will stick with me forever! Madeline said, “I have shown everyone I’ve talked to today your work and everyone is blown away by you. I showed my mom and she said she can’t picture my wedding being photographed any other way. The way you capture photos is how I see my wedding being photographed so I can’t think of anyone else better suited to do this. I found myself getting emotional today going through your website and reading all the fun facts on your site and your email to me was so thoughtful I was just overwhelmed with emotions. The way you present yourself and your work and just the thought you’ve put into emailing me back and wanting to get to know more about John and I made me actually feel like you CARE about your job and also how you make people feel and that is so freaking important. I’m a hospitality major so caring about other people and putting them first is just second nature so to come across someone else that is similar is just wonderful because a lot of the time people don’t get it! So basically, I would love if you would be our photographer. I’m saying I DO to you before I do John abs I’m totally ok with that! 😂😂. I just can’t thank you enough because I can imagine how busy you are!”

Like, cut to me wiping tears from my eyes! THESE messages are truly what make my job so incredible. My couples who feel like friends and who are so invested in this journey together. It’s rewarding and humbling to capture the love of amazing people like these two! <3

Also, Madeline is an amazing baker and she made me homemade vegan cupcakes that were SO amazing! It was her first time baking vegan cake and they came out so delicious. How thoughtful is that?!

Their Love Story

John and Madeline met through mutual friends. She was dating his friend at the time and when she met John, she just knew! The first thing she really fell in love with was his voice! She said, “I mean, ya he’s handsome, but his voice is just so calm.” Their first date was them just hanging out at his house, and Madeline had a bit too much Fireball! They still have the bottle from that night. <3 They have a super cute dog named Dobby who is a Jack Russell Terrier Chihuahua mix! They said “He’s so bad, but he’s perfect in our eyes! We want all the dogs, but Dobby hates everyone but us so, for now it’s the three of us.” I got to meet Dobby over FaceTime, and he is just the cutest!!

When I asked what their favorite qualities about one another are, Madeline said, “I asked John and he said, omg so many things 😢! He said he loves my compassion for everything and everyone and I have such a big heart (I’m literally crying right now lmao that’s so kind)! What I love most about him is his kindness towards myself and my family. He’s so wonderful and supportive. He always says how he’d quit his job and help me follow my dreams of opening my own bakery (my mom did that for my dad.. they’re ultimate couple goals). He’s just an amazing human being and bends over backward for people. I could gush about him all day. What a wonderful question thank you for this!” How freaking cute are they?!

When reflecting on what’s the most exciting part about being engaged, they love that they’ve come so far as a couple and overcome so many hurdles TOGETHER that being engaged is just signifying their strength as a couple. They have forever to share their lives together and grow and change even more together!

The Proposal

Their proposal story is too cute and quite funny!! Madeline said, “John proposed to me on October 12. It was so dreary and cold that day and I was so so tired I just wanted to stay in bed all day… I didn’t want to put make up on I didn’t want to change out of my pajamas I just wanted to stay home! The day was so funny looking back on it because John was saying he had dinner reservations and I kept saying I wanted to stay home and I’d cook dinner and John was getting so mad at me. So the whole time I’m like why is he so mad I just want to make dinner and stay home… he’s never mad about that? So I made it very clear I did not want to go out.”

The next thing she knew, her mom was calling asking if they wanted to come for dinner and that Madeline’s grandmom was there. Grandmom was the secret weapon because she’ll never say no to seeing her! So they agreed to go there for dinner. Then, Madeline being the incredible baker she is, had the great idea to make a cake for dessert for everyone! She said, “I bake cakes on the side and yes I’m totally making my own wedding cake and it will be funfetti! And again, John got mad I was making this cake! So we are getting ready to leave and I’m still in my pajamas. John says, “you’re going in your pajamas?” I was like ya? We’re going to my parents’ house and he was just like really short with me and hit me with an “ok.”AND IN MY HEAD I WAS LIKE IS HE GOING TO PROPOSE TO ME?! But again, paid no mind. So we get to my parents’ house and everyone is acting super weird.

My mom told me to let John in from taking the dog out, so I open the door to the sunroom and there’s John in the middle of rose petal hearts, my whole family follows me in the room, and Dobby has a bandana on that said, “will you marry my dad?” And all I kept saying was this is my moment and I’m in my pajamas! So he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him and I said yes! But it was so typical of me to be wearing my pajamas and something like this happen to me! There were never any dinner reservations. That was just a lie for me to get dressed and out of my pajamas 😂😂 everyone was in on it. John and my family had been working on these plans all week. He went over to my parents house and asked their permission and then went to my sister’s house and asked her and told her he needed her help planning everything.”

John totally crushed the proposal regardless of Madeline being in pajamas! 🙂 Just makes it that much more real! <3

Madeline & John,

I had such a blast getting to know you two better and documenting this exciting time in your love story! Thank you for being up for all the wild ideas and for sharing your love with me! I loved your spring Historic Smithville Park session and seeing all the pretty flowers starting to bloom! I can’t wait to celebrate your marriage with you in October, it’s going to be such an amazing day!! Love ya bunches xoxo Congratulations!