We met on one of the prettiest spring days yet! It was a little hot but regardless, the finale was worth it because of the incredible sunset!! I wish I could pocket that sunset for every session. 😉 We met at the Manassas Battlefields where Leah told me that she has always pictured her engagement portraits to be taken there. Although, I’m not sure they were anticipating the ticks. I know I wasn’t!! Yikes! It was so sweet taking their photos after we had the chance to get to know each other over the winter time when we met up for coffee. We basically got kicked out of Panera (oops!) but it’s just so easy to chat with Paul and Leah! They are genuine, caring, loving and adorable together!! During our time together last week, we got to know each other even more behind and in front of the camera. They are officially pros for their wedding day! Haha! 🙂 Their enthusiasm was so sincere and made my “job” FUN! You’ll fall in love with these two as well once you read their love story and look through their photos. 🙂
PAUL & LEAH’S LOVE STORY
How Paul & Leah Met
from Leah’s perspective…
I was working as a scribe in a hospital Emergency Department during my year prior to starting medical school. I decided on a whim to try eharmony, an online dating website that matched couples on similar interests and key morals. Paul contacted me with an “icebreaker,” and we communicated with each other for two weeks prior to committing to actually meeting.
Little did I know that Paul worked strangely close to the house I grew up in, and two days before we were supposed to have our first date, I inadvertently pulled up behind him at the gas station near my house. He was filling at least five gas cans for the high school where he was Head Coach for the girl’s varsity crew, so I knew he would be stuck there for a while. I had just been to the gym and because I was not sure what to do, instead of introducing myself I hid behind my steering wheel trying to remain invisible for ten minutes! At least I got to check him out prior to actually meeting…
Our first date was magical. I had told Paul that I love music and dancing so he took me to RiRa’s, an Irish pub in town with a great cover band. We already knew so much about each other, I was worried we wouldn’t have much to say! But on our first meeting him he gave me a big hug, bought me a beer, and told me I was beautiful. We danced until the bar kicked us out and made plans to see each other the very next day.
How Paul Proposed to Leah
from Paul’s perspective…
On Leah and I’s third (or maybe fourth or fifth if you ask her) dates, we found ourselves sitting on the couch asking each other questions for hours. Seriously though, no exaggeration. Hours on hours of back and forth questions; which might not surprise you if you know me because I love to talk but until meeting Leah I had never met someone that I both wanted to listen to and talk to as much in my entire life. At one point we found ourselves talking about “bucket lists” and soon after, I coaxed Leah into pulling out her literal list to read select items from. For some reason the one that resonated with me above all else was going on a hot air balloon ride.
Spoiler alert, not too long after that night I knew that the feelings I had for Leah were not only different than anyone else I have ever known, but was a love more real than I knew was possible. From that point forward I knew that I was going to ask her to marry me. Since I only plan to ask that question once in my life it had to be epic. Then came the excitement about the prospect of spending the rest of my life with the greatest woman I have ever known. Enter anxiety. What could I possibly do to show her how strongly I felt about her and how could I find the words to describe feelings that made me feel speechless? Cue the lightbulb moment. Dust off a memory from over two years ago and plan an engagement that involved a hot air balloon.
Phew, problem solved, all I needed to do was: find an awesome hot air balloon pilot, secretly coordinate a once in a lifetime weekend with my favorite medical student (luckily our schedules are never hectic!), buy the perfect engagement ring, and last but not least put together the words to tie it all together (which Leah once told me would be the absolute most important part that she would never forget for the rest of her life). A few weeks of planning and one trip to Europe later (special shout out to my mom for helping confirm the B&B and restaurant reservations while I was gone) I was convinced I threw her off the scent. My cover story was that since she had done so much planning for a european vacation that I would plan a weekend getaway to celebrate the end of her surgery rotation. She still claims that she told multiple girlfriends that she knew exactly what I had up my sleeve that weekend but I stand by my “secret scheming skills”. She didn’t remember all the words I said (typical), but she did say “Yes!”
THANK YOU Paul and Leah for a great time and for dealing with the threat of ticks. Yikes!!! At least the Mill at Fine Creek won’t have ticks roaming around. 😉 Cannot WAIT for your 2017 spring wedding!!!! CONGRATS! XOXO!
CONGRATS!!!!!
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