Mike & Lauren | Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, Virginia Engagement Photographer

It seems like this week is all about the rain, but I hope this sunny session brightens your day! <3 Mike, Lauren and I met last week on a perfectttt May day at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna. They were looking for a location with flowers and beautiful greenery, and I knew the perfect place! Lauren had even saved a beautiful flower crown from her brother’s wedding for this session, which was a nice delicate touch for these portraits!! I loved the purple gown she chose for this session, especially when we stopped by a purple flower bush at the beginning of the session! I could have photographed them there the entire time. 😉 Mike was excited to dress in style for these portraits! It was funny because when I was recently hanging out with Lauren at Elaine and Shawn’s wedding, she had mentioned when Mike and Shawn pay attention to the stylish little details. She was right because I loved catching the little customized monograms on Mike’s buttoned shirt under his suit jacket! I can only imagine how gorgeous these two will look on their wedding day!!! 🙂

This is a special post because Lauren is a dear friend of mine back from the good ole JMU graphic design days. 🙂 I cannot remember exactly how we had met, but it must have happened during one of our art classes. We experienced painting, photography, graphic designing and other random classes together. So many great memories!! I knew I wanted to be friends with her because she was as sweet as can be and down to earth! After graduation, years had passed and we finally made the opportunity happen to reconnect over a glass … or two 😉 … of wine. Gosh, reminds me of our JMU experiences. Haha! She talked so highly about Mike, and I couldn’t wait to meet him in person!! As soon as I met him, I knew they were the perfect match! They compliment each other so well with their sense of humor and outgoing personalities. I cannot wait for these two to tie the knot this fall!!!

Mike & Lauren’s Love Story

How Mike and Lauren Met

Mike and Lauren first met at work when they collaborated on a project together. Mike suggested that the two exchange their personal numbers so that they could “better coordinate” their work. Lauren says she always thought this was a little fishy since they both had work blackberries that they could have used instead. Over the next few months they chatted and became friends. Then when Lauren and her girlfriends were in Old Town Alexandria for their annual St. Patrick’s Day parade she decided to text Mike because she knew he lived in the neighborhood. They met up and, long story short, they have been together ever since. Every year they always find their way back to Old Town for the parade where they celebrate their time together and reminisce about all that happened that first day.

How Mike Proposed to Lauren

Mike and Lauren became engaged on Roanoke Island in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. They were staying there for a week long vacation and spent a day in Manteo where they visited the Elizabethan Gardens. This was a very special spot for Mike since he had visited many times since he was a child with his family. He thought Lauren would enjoy the gardens since she loves flowers and often propagates her own houseplants. While walking through the gardens Mike found a quiet spot by an old fountain and asked Lauren for some coins so that they could make a wish. After they each tossed in a penny, he asked Lauren what she had wished for. She said “I can’t tell you because then it won’t come true.” Mike got down on one knee and asked Lauren to be his wife.

A few weeks later, while searching through some old photos, Mike’s Mom, Carol, found a photo of Mike from when he was six years old. In the photo he was standing in front of the fountain where 26 years later, he would propose to Lauren.

Thank you, Mike and Lauren, for giving me the greatest honor of photographing your engagement portraits!!! Lauren, I am so happy seeing you so happy with the man of your dreams! You two were made for each other, and I cannot wait to see where the future takes you both! <3 Congrats!!! Enjoy some of my favorites from our time together!! Xoxo!