Their Session: Hartshorne Woods Park, NJ

Ahhh, I have been waiting to get these two in front of my camera since the moment they popped into my inbox! We couldn’t quite pinpoint how or when, but Monica and I have been friends on Facebook and Instagram for years through mutual friends and living in nearby towns! We connected right off the bat when we met for coffee, and it truly felt like I had known these two forever. They were so open about their love story and vision for their wedding day, and it was super fun getting to catch up with them again at their engagement session!

They warned me that there would be a little bit of a hike involved, and we laughed as we huffed and puffed our way up the incline trail to get to this gorgeous spot at Hartshorne Woods Park! I’m so glad they found this hidden gem that totally didn’t even look like it was in New Jersey! What I loved was that we didn’t need a HUGE area or 10 different locations to make this session so special – this one spot had so much to offer, and we were able to show off Carly and Monica’s love so beautifully here! Lucky enough, there was a family jumping and swimming in the lake, and they offered us sparklers toward the end of the night to use for some photos! They were SO excited for Carly and Monica, and kept cheering them on as we photographed their session! 🙂

Their Love Story

Carly and Monica have actually known each other for over 10 years! Carly was Monica’s sister’s best friend. They both went to college and did life separately for a bit, and when Monica moved back home, they started dating!

When I asked about their proposal, Monica told me, “Carly and I like to travel and go on vacations to the Caribbean especially, so I proposed to Carly at our favorite resort group – Excellence Oyster Bay in Jamaica. I also like photography, so I set up an “anniversary shoot” on the beach with all of my equipment already placed on record and proposed to her there. I had set up a romantic dinner with the help of the resort and brought to the beach photos Carly and I took over the past years of me holding her hand from behind while she faced forward. I told her I wanted to take a photograph like that and while she was turned facing forward I started saying how we always take these photos with Carly’s back towards me, but now it’s time for her to face me as I want to face life and the next chapter together, and as she turned, I was down on one knee and asked her to marry me.” ALL the chills, right?! Such an epic proposal!

Their dates are usually always romantic and include lots of great food! Seriously, Monica is ALWAYS posting the most incredible meals that they make on her Instagram stories!! They like seeing plays or shows and going to dinner in a cute town, too! They always love going down to the shore, spending time at the beach, and shopping at local small businesses!

While Monica is outgoing and a total jokester, Carly is super sensitive and kind. They are such a perfect balance, and I loved seeing how they play off of one another when they’re together! Monica says, “I love that Carly is so caring and patient. I can be quick and impulsive, but she always pulls me back and balances me, she is my rock. We are opposites and I find that it works very well that way.” And Carly says, “I love that Monica is all the things I am not. She is good at everything, literally everything she does, and is friends with everyone. She is the most thoughtful and helpful person I know and has done more for me than I could ever do for her no matter how hard I tried!!!”

Carly & Monica,

They’re so excited and love the idea of finally getting to be each other’s person for the rest of their lives. I can’t wait to see these two tie the knot at the beautiful Wave Resort this September surrounded by their closest friends and family! Thank you both for being beyond amazing – I love hanging with you two at Hartshorne Woods Park!! Congrats, lovebirds! Let’s get you two MARRIED! xo