I was connected to Clayton & Gigi through the fabulous Kim Newton Weddings and it has been love ever since! Here are some random points of why I love these two … They are getting married next spring at the gorgeous Oxen Hill Manor, they love cats, Gigi attended my SMP 5K Runaway Brides (!!!!) and they are super down to Earth! This engagement session has been anticipated for a while now as this was our fourth try to make this work due to inclement weather. Yet again, the meteorologists were predicting rain on Tuesday. We crossed fingers and prayed it would not happen to us again. The day of, we checked the forecast and it appeared that we had a chance to make this work so we went for it! On my way into Alexandria, I stopped by Gainesville for a little Home Goods shopping trip … we know how that ends. 😉 When I was walking out of the store, I looked to the west to see dark storm clouds. I thought, “SERIOUSLY?”! Immediately, I pulled out my weather app to see what was going on because let’s be honest, meteorologists PREDICT and the forecast can change. I’m speaking from past experiences. 😉 Well, fortunately that rain storm was heading straight towards my house and away from the city. We got lucky! I arrived in downtown Alexandria where it seemed like the sun was trying to come out. Fortunately for us, the weather was strangely odd that day, if you remember it was 80 degrees! SO warm for a mid-October day! Gigi didn’t have to change her outfit plans since we went from planning a spring to now a fall session. 🙂 I probably looked as if I was ready for winter as I came dressed in jeans, boots, three-quartered length shirt and a scarf … what was I thinking?! Lol! It was the half way point of the session and Gigi pulled out her tulle skirt … YES please! With the sun trying to break out of the clouds PLUS the wind PLUS the tulle skirt PLUS this lovely couple, it was breathtaking! If I could rewind, I would do it all over again! I’m just so relieved we made this session work out after three tries … it was worth the wait. 🙂
Clayton & Gigi’s Love Story
from Gigi’s perspective
Clayton and I actually met each other sophomore year of college at a small get together at my own house! We didn’t talk that evening, and it wasn’t until a year later in one of our classes that he said he had been to my house and remembered me. We became friends fast and started hanging out all the time. About a year later my dad rented a cabin in Sugar Mountain for my friends and I to go snowboarding before Christmas break, and Clayton came along. Before that trip Clayton had told me that he wanted to be more than friends, but had not really asked me out. One evening on that trip, after playing board games and eating more pizza than I have ever wanted, he leaned in and kissed me. Clayton is not always the most verbal about his emotions, but I knew that night how he felt. We parted ways for winter break after that trip, I went home to Florida and Clayton went back to Northern Virginia. For 3 weeks we texted, talked and Skyped every day. When the spring semester started in January we officially started dating. All of our friends didn’t understand why it took so long! Apparently they had all predicted we would be dating by the end of the year. A year later we both graduated from King College and decided to move to Northern Virginia where Clayton’s family is located. We moved in with his parents for a few months and then got our own apartment with my childhood friend, whom is actually officiating our wedding!
Clayton & Gigi’s Proposal Story
from Clayton’s perspective
About 8 months after moving up to Northern Virginia, I took a job in Williamsburg, VA which was about 2 hours away. It was a difficult time, with us being separated and only being able to see each other on the weekends that I was not traveling for work, but we made it through. About half way through August, I was able to come back up to the NOVA area for about a week and that’s when I decided to pop the question to her. I had already bought the ring a while back and was just waiting for the right time to ask her. I had waited for Gigi to get back to the apartment from her internship when I told her to get changed and that we were going to go eat dinner at the National Harbor. I was pretty nervous and I know she could tell something was up because I was wearing a collard shirt without her having to tell me to put one on, which she almost immediately pointed out. When we got to the National Harbor we walked around for a bit, later I told her that this was because I was trying to find the right place to ask her. We were walking down by the water when I saw the perfect spot and pointed to a small statue and walked that way. I turned to her and got down on one knee and told her how much I enjoyed having her in my life and how I could not see my future without her in it, and a couple other nice romantic things about how much I loved her before I asked her to marry me. In her shock, I remember her asking me if this was for real! HA, and then she said yes. I was so happy, I could not stop smiling and she could not stop crying and smiling. As we walked back toward the restaurants she was calling every body to tell them the news. We ate dinner and then I told her that I called her boss and asked off work for the next day because I got us a hotel room at the Gaylord. We went back to the room, popped open a bottle of champagne, and watched the sun set over the Potomac from our balcony.
Thank you Clayton and Gigi for an amazing time on Tuesday! Cannot wait for your big day next spring!!! 🙂 Enjoy some of my favorites from your engagement session! xoxo
Love their humor!!!
So cute! 🙂
Then Gigi broke out the tulle skirt!!
OMGSH! Love this!!!
Gorgeous!
Love the light encompassing them!
They are adorable! <3
Some of my favorites! Marilyn Monroe anyone?!
Look at that sky! Was not like that when we first arrived … so glad it opened up!
LOVE.
Thank you both for an incredible time!
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