Oceanside Romantic Engagements

Shooting engagement sessions at Matheson Hammock park at sunrise is always like opening a surprise gift. There’s no way of telling what kind of sunrise you will have that morning so there you are.. really early anxiously waiting in your car for the magic hour. It was such a cloudy morning that I thought for sure we would have a colorful display before us. But instead, and maybe for the best, we had the most perfect golden glow for a solid hour and more. We were all so happy and in love with how beautiful the ocean shinned for us. I was more in love with watching Samuel and Nathalie interact with one another. I kept thinking that this was all too easy because they were just to great at anything I said for them to try. Their love is so effortless that I could just take a step back and let them wing it on their own because it would be ten times better than anything I could pose. I cannot wait for their wedding next month! It’s going to be the greatest!! Here are my favorites from our morning together.

“Sometimes in life when we finally find that special someone, we want nothing more than to be with them and spend all our hours with them. When I saw Nathalie I knew she was mine forever. I wanted us to be together and there for each other no matter what.”

“It all started when we became friends on Instagram. We actually developed a friendship & we talked very frequently. We found out we had a lot in common & I just loved talking to him, he made me laugh so much, which is one of the reasons I love him so much. The relationship evolved into something so special.”

“We went on our first date (I took her to Crazy about you) and we had an amazing time. We ate and laughed and time for once was on my side. We walked around until we found this serenity place with a view of downtown, it was the most romantic thing I have ever seen, so we stayed there and sat down and enjoyed the view of Miami. The next day I knew I had to leave. I lived in Tampa and the distance was something that was going to affect us. On the way back home I had a four hour drive, all I could think about was her, how bad I wanted to turn around and just ask her to be my girlfriend. I knew that would be awkward so I kept driving. Few days later I couldn’t resist not seeing her so I drove back to Miami. I called her mom and told her that I wanted to surprise her. I stoped by a flower store and picked the best dozen red roses they had, I loved her reaction when she opened the door and saw it was me. Then again I knew I had to leave back to Tampa and not be with her. The physical distance that had come between us is something that I could not take anymore. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, I know that I loved her even more with each passing day. I will love her forever.”

“I’d miss him so much when he was gone but he would always come, sometimes he would surprise me, I loved when he did. One day he came down & wanted to have dinner with me at this amazing restaurant in Brickell, under the stars, we had a wonderful night & that was the night he asked me to be his girlfriend, on May 5th. I was so happy, I obviously said yes, right away. From then on out we continued to make amazing memories & go on crazy adventures together. I loved that we had so much fun together.”

“Then the day came when it was my turn to go to Tampa and meet his family. This was something very important for me because I had been talking to his mom on the phone and really wanted to meet her in person. So we planned it out and I was on my way to Tampa. I remember being so nervous. My parents and I got to our hotel in Tampa at 11:00pm and when I told Sam’s mom we were there, she told us to go to their house right away, I found that so funny. When I got to their house I was amazed at how loving and welcoming his parents were, they made me feel so comfortable. The next day, we met his grandparent which I love so much. The second day when his family was all in the living room and I was sitting next to Sam, it all clicked, and I realized I wanted to be with this guy forever, I was so happy. We kept visiting each other back and forth. The distance was hard at times but it was all worth it.”

“So I decided to propose, I wanted to make it special, a girl like Nathalie deserves everything life has to give, so I had to make it big. I called all her friends and family and planned a special surprise. The day of the engagement she went out thinking that it was going to be a photo shoot with her girlfriends and that I was still in Tampa, I was actually at the beach in Miami with dozens of roses making a heart, inside the heart I filled it with rose petals. I was nervous and scared, did not know how her reaction would be. Thank god she said YES, I think by far that was one of the best days of my life. I knew I wanted to grow old with her, I knew I wanted to hold her hand when we were 80 years old, kiss her and surprise her with her favorite gifts, making her smile and laugh everyday.”

“The proposal; one of the most special days of my life. It was amazing!!!! He did such a great job. I didnt even know he was going to propose that day. The whole thing was planned so well and with so much detail, he truly went the extra mile. When my friend asked me to close my eyes, I immediately had a million thoughts in my head, she covered my eyes and we walked towards the beach, when she uncovered my eyes, I saw Sam in a heart shape he made out of flowers standing there waiting for me. I was so emotional, I started tearing up because I knew what was coming. I was so amazed at all the work and detail he put into that day that I was beyond belief. That will forever be one of my favorite days. I can’t wait until the wedding which will be another big day. I am anxiously waiting as it approaches so quickly. I am extremely excited and am ready to officially become my favorite persons wife.”

“We finally reached the day of our engagement pictures, the day was so beautiful, it couldn’t of been any better. One thing I can’t stop thinking about that day is when you were taking pictures of Nathalie alone, and I noticed  I was one lucky guy,  I had found a beautiful stunning girl that makes my heart full of joy, a girl that I want to spend the rest of my life with, someone who I can’t live without.

I can’t wait till the wedding day, till the day I say “I do” it’s a day that is going to be so special, The day where I promise to her that even in grief and darkness I will show her the different shades of dark, and help her find the tiny rays of light that are always there if you seek them.”

“Sam, I love you so much without a doubt. You mean the world to me and you make me the happiest girl in the world. Thank you for being patient and loving me unconditionally. You motivate me to be a better person. You’ve been here for me like no other through thick and thin. I want you to know I will continue to have your back always. I promise you I will support you and love you for the rest of my life. When life gets hard, we will pull through, we can push through anything. My life has changed the second you walked into it for the better. I love you babe, always remember that.” – Nathalie

“I’ve never been the kind who makes plans for the future, who thinks about how things will turn out, but you are the one who makes me feel like, for the first time, I can build my hopes and dreams around something , I can hope that we will have a future together, where we can love and live. So know that you have full possession of my heart and soul, and that you are the reason why I am happy and alive. I LOVE YOU.” – Sam

I don’t know about you all, but reading their stories and seeing their pictures makes me feel like I’m watching the ‘Sam & Nathalie – Greatest Love Story of All Time’ movie. Thank you both for choosing me and for believing that we were such a great fit. I couldn’t be more excited to continue to document all the special moments in your lives. Special thanks to my friend Lester for coming along and assisting me. There is so much we have in the works and I cannot wait to share with you all, but until then, just know that there’s new things brewing for AV that our couples will love.

Dear friends, help them win prints! For every 10 individual comments left on this post they will receive an 8×10 photo print for free! (Individual comments = one per person.) Once your comment is approved (just for eliminating spam reasons) you will see it below!