Redland Koi Gardens Engagements

Sometimes our love stories don’t start off with the happiest of notes. Sometimes it takes a while to reach that “I love you so much it hurts moment”. Something about those troubled love stories or the difficult journeys makes me love the couple even more. I am glued like I was back in middle school to the Nora Roberts romance novels I would check out of the library. I’ve got that kind of love story for you today. They didn’t have that instant “we are meant to be together connection” – at least one of them didn’t… and friends, I never do this.. I never post a whole story or dedication if I feel its too much into personal details or a lengthy writing because after all I want you to see their images since that’s what this blog is all about. But in this case in particular I love how real my bride was to admit to her feelings and the world needs to see more REAL and less PRETEND. So without further ado, this is Carolina and Isaias. I’m shooting their wedding in September and I am so so excited to be doing so. I know that it will be one I will not soon forget. But before that day arrives, we spent time together getting to know each other and more importantly documenting their love now in this precious time. We explored the beautiful Redland Koi Gardens in Homestead and I truly wish we would of had more time there. We got lost in every little corner taking pictures. These are my favorites from our time together. I can’t wait to see you all again and capture the next chapter of the ‘novela’. 🙂

“I met Isaias when I was fifteen, his grandparents had recently moved to our Kingdom Hall and he was visiting the hall to meet the people. I remember that day like it was yesterday I remember thinking who’s this new kid. After the meeting, he came and said hi to me and my friends, we started talking about school and then I went home. With time, he later moved to my hall with his family and we became friends. We would talk after school, help another with homework and just talk about anything. He was just one of my best friends. When we turned sixteen he told me he liked me and well I told him that I didn’t feel the same way and we should stay friends. After that day, I couldn’t stand him, because I felt that every time we talked, or hung out with friends he wanted to tell me he liked me and I didn’t want to lead him on…”

“Then December 2013 happened. One of our closest friends put together a group to go to Tennessee on vacation and Isaias’s family was part of the group along with mine. After not talking and avoiding each other for almost a year we would make small talk here and there about the vacation and how we were excited.  I remember months before we would talk about the vacation and my closest friend would say that when we came back I would end up with him. I remember laughing in their face and saying “NO, that’s not going to happen”.  Then we finally got to Tennessee and thats were our “Novela” started or how everyone on the trip would like to say. The first day we got along, we were just being friends like old times, and then he would tell me how he felt and we would fight, then not talk the whole next day on the trip and vice versa. One day we got along the next we wouldn’t.  Then the third day of the trip came and he was super mad at me and everyone felt bad that Isaias wasn’t enjoying the trip. I knew it was my fault and I felt bad too. He was outside siting on the swing looking at the mountains with his headphones on, while everyone was inside laughing and having a good time. I decided to go outside to talk to him and ask him to please enjoy the trip, when he saw me come outside he just looked at me and didn’t even take his headphones off. I remember I was freezing and asked him to take the head phones off and he was like, “What do you want”, and I said, “I wanted us to get along, for you to enjoy the trip and not hate me.” He was like, “I don’t hate you, but I can’t enjoy the trip when I know the girl I like won’t even give me the time of day, won’t even give me a chance to show who I am.” I then said something like, “We can be friends.” And he then responded with, “I can’t be your friend. I can’t sit around and maybe see you end up with someone else because I settled to be your friend. It hurt me that he said he wouldn’t be my friend because I cared about him and we had a good friendship, we had so many things in common and we really could talk about anything. Then he was like, “Listen I’m giving up, if after this trip you don’t at least give me chance that’s it I’m done. I will never try again.” I remember those words sunk in and they hit me hard. I went in crying because I felt like I pushed him away so much, that I lost someone I cared about and I hated that. The next day he came an apologized for making me cry and then we agreed to get along.”

“From that day on I started noticing things in him that I hadn’t noticed before, and I started to like him or better yet admit to myself that I had always liked him. Although when we came back I wouldn’t admit it to myself or my friends that I liked Isaias, looking back on those last days in Tennessee, I was falling for my future husband and the father of my future kids. When we came back, we started talking again here and there but as friends, until one day that I told him that if he was up for it and with my parents’ permission I would like to get to know him a little bit better. He agreed, and from then on we talked every day, we talked about everything, I would find the lamest excuses to hang out with him (like have his mom cut my hair) just so I could see him. Some Fridays he would come over to watch a movie and eat Chinese (because Chinese is my favorite food) or we would just sit in the dining room and talk. Those Fridays were my favorite because I got to know Isaias for him, this funny and big hearted guy that he is, that many may not know. He is hard working, he lets me be me and I would just feel safe and at home with him. I love that with him I could be myself, my whole self. He lets me speak my mind without judging my opinions and just the fact that I was never embarrassed to show who Carolina really is, is just the best feeling in the world. Time passed and we kept talking and on June 16th 2014, he came over and he brought Chinese and in my fortune cookie was a note that read “Will you be my girlfriend?” I remember my eyes got watery because I couldn’t believe how much thought he put in to asking me such a simple question. From that day on our life has been filled with journeys, laughter, ups, downs and I would trade any of it.  After 2 years of dating on October 29th, 2016 he asked me to marry him.”

“That day was one of the best days of my life, I smile each time I think about it. I had no idea he was going to ask me to marry him on that day. That week he had told me that we were going to dinner on Saturday with the family because he was leaving with his dad on a business trip for a week and his dad wanted to take his mom to a nice restaurant along with the family before leaving. All he told me was I had to dress nice. None of that was suspicious to me. Although I had been waiting forever for him to ask me, I had no idea what was coming. That Saturday he picked me up and we all went to South Pointe Park. He said we had gotten to the restaurant that is there to early so we should walk, mind you it was raining that day like crazy and I was like you want to walk in the rain?! He was like yeah let’s go I want to show you something. We started walking and he was showing me the park and then we got to a hill that there is in the park, from the hill you can see all the ocean and the city buildings. It was just a breath taking view, he then faced me towards him and held my hands and that point I could tell he was nervous and knew what was coming. I started breathing heavy and he was telling me how much he loved me and how since the day he met me he knew he was going to ask me the question he was about to ask, he got on one knee and asked me to marry him, I said yes, I started crying and then our family came out from the trees screaming. It was just by far one of the best day of my life, and I can’t wait till September to the day I get to marry my best friend.”

“I was instantly attracted to her natural beauty her glowing black hair and her beautiful dark eyes. But little did I know that that was only a very smart part of her beauty. While getting to know her more and more I really got to see how big of a heart she really has. She is always caring for others and puts others before herself. And those are qualities I looked for in a partner. So fast forward to December of 2013. Our families decided to go on a trip to Tennessee staying in one of those cabins in the mountains and it was the perfect setting to fall in love. Over countless conversations I knew that she was the person I wanted to spend my life with.”

“Isaias you are my world. I love you more than I think words can ever describe. I love how you make me laugh, how you care so much about your family and me. How safe I feel when I am with you. I love how hard working you are in life. How you never give up, how you always watch my back and how you put Jehovah first. You have such an amazing heart and I am so lucky to call you mine. I can’t wait for the rest of our lives, to grow old together, for you to be my husband, father of my children and partner in crime.” – Carolina

“Carolina, you are truly everything that I could ask for in a life partner, you’re caring and loving and overall the most amazing person I’ve ever met in my life. I love every little thing about you and I can’t wait to be your husband and spend a lifetime with you. ” – Isaias

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