Engagement Feature: Love Story of "Zachary & Ashley"

"A Teenage Love"

This lovely couple out of Wisconsin met through mutual friends during their high school years. Their friendship turned into a sweet "teenage love"! 

Their engagement story is heartfelt, and sweet. I love how music played a role in setting the tone for the actual marriage proposal.  Enjoy their "love story" as it is lovely! What started out as a typical anniversay date turned into a beautiful night for Zachary & Ashley! 

THE COUPLE ...

 " Zachary & Ashley" 

HOW THEY MET....

Zachary and Ashley were introduced to each other by mutual friends; while attending high school. After, becoming friends later they began dating. By their junior year of high school their friendship blossomed into a relationship. 

LOVE CONQUERS ALL....

Zachary and Ashley have learned how to conquer all challenges they have faced. No matter what they always come out on top better than ever!

THE DATE NIGHT....

On, Wednesday December 11, 2013, Zachary and Ashley went out to celebrate their 4 year anniversary. 

The couple chose to have a dinner date  and go ice skating. Immediately, following dinner the couple made their way to the ice skating rink.

 As the couple skated, Zachary pointed  out that the song "Still Into You" By Paramore was playing; of course Ashley was so focused on skating ( it had been quite a while, since she last ice skated). 

As Ashley got the hang of ice skating she started to notice the music....

The second song was "Marry Me" By Jason Durlo. The last song that played was their favorite song. "I'll Be" By Edwin McCain. 

THE MARRIAGE PROPOSAL ... 

As Zachary and Ashley stopped for a break during the song, Ashley pointed out to him that their favorite song was playing.  By this time he was already on the ground fixing his ice skates.  

Zachary looked up at Ashley and said, "Ashley there's a reason for these songs playing today." She just looked at him with a confused looked he reached into his coat that was on the bench and pulled out a big box... 

HE ASKED ....SHE SAID YES...

As Ashley kept repeating the word no over and over because she was convinced that he wasn't going to propose for a while still. Then, Zachary opened the box and looked up and said, "Ashley I love you...will you marry me?" At first she took a couple steps back still being in shock. Then, Ashley said yes! 

For details on Zachary & Ashley's "Love Story" and more, stay tuned! 

Photo Source: via Instagram

Thank you, 

Have a Sweet Day ❤

3 Fun activities Before "I Do"

 You have been busy thinking, dreaming, and planning the wedding! But, now you need to take sometime to plan a few activities "Before" the BIG Day! These are special little outings that will make being engaged a "joy"!  

Photo Credit

1) Plan a "Engagement Party" - this is a opportunity to gather your close friends and family to celebrate your engagement! Perhaps, opt for a "Cocktail Party", or "Dinner Party".  Don't forget to Hire a planner so all the fine details come together smoothly. 

2) Plan a "Date Night" at least twice a month - Plan two dates a month ( not to discuss the wedding) and just enjoy that "two" of you. Here's a few ideas: dinner & dancing, dinner and a movie, or a private candle light dinner at home ( You will need a break away from the wedding planning)!

3) Plan a Photo "Engagement" Session together - Hire a Professional Photographer to shoot your session. Maybe a outdoor/indoor photoshoot; consider 1-2 dress changes, and for added fun include some props! 

Bonus TIP: Hire a Wedding Planner if you have not already to plan and coordinate your wedding the "Day of"!

Please leave a COMMENT below if you have more sweet ideas of activities you can think of. 

Thank you, 

Clarissa ❤

"Jones - Thomas Engagement"

The Engagement

(Cord & Shamaira Thomas)

This lovely couple Cord Thomas & Shamaira Jones announced their engagement in 2010, and made plans for their beautiful Spring wedding full of tropical decor, family, close friends, and loved ones. This 3-day wedding celebration would include guests from all over the United States, and including Guyana. Futhermore, plans were in place for a pre-wedding dinner celebration, the wedding, and a post-wedding BB-Q! The Jones-Thomas wedding was pre-planned to be filled with lots of family and celebrating.

The couple planned their engagement pictures with Atlanta based photographer Jordan Rose of J. Rose Photography. The session took place in several locations throughout the greater Atlanta, Georgia areas, such as; Atlantic Station, Piedmont Park, just to name a few. Their love was reflected through the lens of the camera, it was a photo session full of love leading up to their special day!

Spring 2011' Engagement Photo session

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

Photography Credits: J. Rose Photography

I was more than honored to plan their wedding, and play a part in making all the arrangements for this beautiful engagement session.  Also, the couple implemented the photos from this session into their wedding (framed and placed outside of the ceremony); it was a lovely added touch.

Photographer website: http://entertainmediagroup.com/

Jordan Rose, Photographer

Have a Sweet Day!~

"Clarissa"

Engagement Photo Inspirations

Source:

Ross Oscar Knight Photography

http://www.rossoscarknightphotography.net/search/label/engagement



This is an AMAZING photographer! I am a huge fan! He has some awesome work. Here is a couple that did a engagement photo session with him in Atlanta, Georgia; they were in the Inman Park area........such a beautiful photo shoot. This would be a nice added touch for all those engaged couples out there!

Have a Sweet day!

Engagement Photo Tips

Location
Urban vs. Nature: Do you like cities? Or trees & greenery? Or gardens?

Some photographers have great photos with an urban city setting; often the grungy parts of cities provide the most clever, beautiful backgrounds. Picture a couple posing next to a wall of graffiti. In black and white. Could be very cool, if that’s what you’re looking for!
Other photographers prefer the outdoorsy setting. A couple peeking their heads out from behind a tree. Cute, right?

If you like both of these ideas — or want the option of having both types of photos — I recommend going to an urban setting, near a park. Most cities, large or small, have some kind of a park and some kind of a downtown area. And usually they’re not too far apart, making it easy to go from one setting to another.

Studio Setting: Like a clean-cut photo? Want to be able to control the lighting and background? Or want to have access to props?
The studio setting might be a good option if you like to have more control over the photos. There are a lot of different poses you can do: romantic, traditional, creative — you name it!

A Place with Meaning

If you are completely at a loss about what you might be looking for, how about picking a location that has meaning to you, as a couple! Maybe a park where you once strolled together or the restaurant where you met. These are great ideas and, with the right photographer, you can get amazing photos!

Style

There are some photos that are very traditional: the couple in various locations, looking into each others’ eyes, smiling side by side, kissing, laughing. Of course, these can be as creative as you want.
Other photos are completely creative and show the couples’ personality. I really liked these photos because they’re creative AND I feel like I already have an idea about their personalities.

What to Wear, How to Look

I’m a big advocate that you should look how you look! Don’t dress differently because of this photo shoot; that’s not the point. That said, there are some great tips for photo shoots: wear colors that match the location (eg. beach should be tans and blues) and ladies might want to consider foundation (even if you dont usually wear it) because it will look better in the photo.

Sharing

You want to make sure that people get to see these photos, right? Consider putting them on your wedding website, including them in your Save the Date (or making a postcard with that photo as the postcard), or post them on The Wedding Lens so that your friends and family can see, download & print whichever photos they love.

Do you have other tips for engagement photo shoots that you want to share? Let me know!

~ Natasha

Source:
http://blog.theweddinglens.com/

How to plan a Engagement Party

Setting the Engagement Party Date

An engagement party usually takes place within a couple months of the proposal. That said, if you're planning to have a longer engagement, feel free to wait several months. Just make sure that your engagement party takes place closer to the time of your engagement than it does to your wedding date.

Compiling the Engagement Party Guest List

Anyone invited to your engagement party should ultimately be invited to your wedding, so the size of your engagement party guest list is really dependent upon your actual wedding day guest list. You might have as few as 10 or as many as upward of 100. When the host asks you to come up with a guest list, set it up so your closest family is first, followed by your best of friends, then go from there.

Engagement Party Invites

Your invites can be as simple or formal as you like, and really depend on the style and vibe you're going for. Word of mouth or an Evite is totally appropriate for a small, casual gathering at home. Then again, if your parents are throwing an elegant dinner at the country club, you may want to look into sending out formal paper invites. Get those invites out about a month in advance to give guests a good heads-up, or within four to six weeks if guests are from out of town.

Engagement Party Menu and Cocktail Ideas

You certainly don't have to serve a five-course sit-down dinner. Passed hors d'oeuvres, tasting menu stations, and family-style buffets are all great ways to go. Another idea: Theme your food. If you had your first date over Asian food, order up dumplings and sake-tinis for your guests.

Engagement Party Decor

Choose a style and theme that are completely different from your wedding day. So if you're planning a formal ballroom wedding, go for a laid-back beach-themed engagement party with vibrant tropical colors and a casual outdoor setting. The real trick here is that you don't want to upstage the wedding day. So if you're planning to have simple decor at your wedding reception, it would be odd to order over-the-top floral centerpieces for the tables. That said, a few small arrangements from your local florist will instantly perk up any space. Look beyond flowers too. Get colorful fabric for the tables and food areas and work with your theme.

Engagement Party Timeline

It's tradition for the father of the bride to make the first toast of the party, officially announcing the engagement. But your mother, your fiance's parents, or the host of the party could also step in to do this. After the first toast, you and your fiance might want to take a moment to thank everyone before opening up the floor to other friends and family who may want to speak. Other than the toasts, you'll want to have a little music. Hire a DJ, a local band, or keep it simple and ask a friend to man your iPod.

-- Elizabeth Narins

Source:

(website)

http://wedding.theknot.com

Source:

(photography pictured above by Ross Oscar Knight)

http://www.rossoscarknight.com/

He does amazing work! Based out of ATL~

This is for all the lovely couples out there that need a little help planning their upcoming engagement party!

Have a Sweet day!

Engagement Pary Dress Inspirations

Source:

magnoliasmarriageandmanhattan.blogspot.com/20...

Top: Charlotte Russe $22.99
Pants: Victoria’s Secret $49.50
Ring: Forever21 $4.80
Clutch: sewpink on Etsy $35.00
Pumps: Target $19.99

Dress: Forever21 $22.80
Shoes: Forever21 $24.80
Earrings: Bijunea on Etsy $8.00
Clutch: Nordstrom $48.00

Dress: Newport News $59.00
Heels: Dillard’s $89.00
Earrings: Forever21 $6.80
Ring: Forever21 $5.80
Clutch: Newport News $29.00

Source:

stylisheventsblog.com/.../

Engagement:

;the period when a couple has agreed to get married but the wedding has not yet taken place

It’s the first time that a couple really celebrates their decision to share lives together with their family and friends. A bride-to-be wants to stand out at her engagement party but not look overdone and that is a fine line.

I am so excited! One of my good friend's got engaged over the weekend! I just had to post these engagement party dresses! Congrats to you both! Tune in because all this week I will continue to post more engagement inspirations. Enjoy...have a Sweet day!