Washington DC Engagement | Kerrie and Daniel

Washington DC Engagement

Kerrie + Daniel

Wow! Just Wow! I’m simply in awe of the places that my career has taken me. In this case though- not only did it take me south to Washington DC for the most amazing engagement session EVAH!!! It took me back to high-school. You see- Kerrie and I were in the same homeroom class from 6th grade all the way through to Graduation. To say that it’s been close to 20 years since we saw each other stings a tad- BUT… we still feel just like we did back then…. the only difference is we can now legally enjoy an alcohol-infused cocktail together! (So what gets better than that? LOL )

When I got that first message from Kerrie asking little ole’ me to photograph her wedding I was BEYOND OVERJOYED with excitement! When we chatted more about the plans of their day and I knew that we would be a good fit, and then I immediately reached out to my partner in crime Mike Sears to see if he would be willing to travel to PA for a New Years Eve Wedding! Mike and I will be venturing to PA for their wedding in just a few months! And that brings us to this blog post! Where I can brag more about what an amazing couple these two are!

Kerrie and Daniel really wanted to have an engagement session at the Tidal Basin in Washington D.C. while the Cherry blossoms were in full bloom. This was so very important to them- so we made it happen! (We may have missed the peak of the blossom season, due to a frost, but we were able to capture most of what they were looking for!) (And I got to check “Shooting Cherry Blossoms” off my bucket list! – Thanks, guys!!)

So we woke up super early and headed downtown to beat the crowds and the high sun. I have to credit these two- they did ALL of the planning for this session! They obtained the necessary permits and they took time off work. Oooo!!!! And they even considered the time of day and the light!! (DAN is an AMAZING photographer who has some pretty effin’ Kick ASS pictures that he has taken! And Kerrie- with a love of interior decorating- designed her living room decor around one of his MASSIVE canvas prints of a beautiful night shot of the Sydney opera house. ) So this couple value photography and the printed pieces. (my kind of peeps!!)

So why don’t I let you read a little more from Kerrie and Dan- I send out a questionnaire to my couples to help me write these posts- (as it’s no secret that I’m terrible with grammar, punctuation etc! haha) But this way we can also hear firsthand their story! Which is what really matters.

How did you two love birds meet?
Kerrie: Dan and I met on eHarmony.com. He was so sweet and genuine in his emails to me. I thought he was incredibly interesting! Dan: Via eHarmony.com. She was easy to talk to (and was pretty!) From the first date it just felt like a natural fit; it felt comfortable.

What did you do on your first date? (and was is fun, awkward, nervous etc)
Kerrie: We went to Top Golf. We golfed for about an hour and talked for about three! I could tell Dan was nervous to put his arm around me. In my head, I was rooting for him the whole time. He was juuuust about there and the server came to tell us our time was up! LOL, let’s just say he made up for it on our second date 🙂 Dan: We went to Top Golf and realized…we both suck at golf! I was initially nervous, but once we started talking I felt so comfortable with Kerrie, the nerves went away fast.

How did he propose?
Kerrie: We had planned a trip to the Biltmore in North Carolina months before. Dan and I designed the engagement ring together, so I kind of knew a proposal would be coming, but I didn’t know exactly when it would happen! Dan kept telling me the ring wasn’t ready for the trip. About 2 days before we left I was cleaning the kitchen counter and found the receipt…busted! I kept quiet and was SO excited since I knew after finding the receipt that our Biltmore trip was going to be even more romantic than planned…we were going to get engaged too! Dan still managed to surprise me by proposing earlier than I expected. It was awesome. We got all the crying (VERY happy tears!), calling our family and the general craziness of just getting engaged out of the way early. The rest of the trip we simply enjoyed each other and truly celebrated. It hands down was the happiest time of my life (to date.) Dan: We had a romantic getaway to the Biltmore planned. I wasn’t sure exactly how I would propose. On our first night, we went to the Candlelight Tour of the mansion. I carried the ring around waiting for the right place to propose, but it was too crowded. So when we got back to the Inn, I knelt down in front of their huge Christmas tree…because Christmas trees make everything awesome!

What do you both do for fun? Hobbies?
Kerrie: I like eating Dan’s cooking 🙂 My primary hobby is to create wheel thrown pottery. If you look around my house, you’ll see many examples! I have also loved designing and decorating our new house together. Dan has owned our house for quite a while so I had to take it from bachelor chic to fiance ready 🙂 And I very much enjoy event planning and design, so let’s just say I’m just a little excited that I get to plan our wedding this year! Dan has taught me to tolerate camping and after we started dating I bought my first bike. We plan on riding a lot together this summer! Dan: I like to ride my bike, go camping, play tabletop games (Steele Open 2017 Armada champion!), watch nerdy things on TV, hang out with my fiance, taking pictures and cooking.

Do either of you have funny quirks or habits that drive the other nuts? (HAHA)
Kerrie: Dan and I are very good at tolerating each other’s annoying habits. I am so incredibly happy with him that even the things that drive me crazy are cute! (I know, super gross mushy stuff!! LOL) We’ve had one “fight” about “Food Grade Tupperware” …we bought more Tupperware, problem solved! Obviously, nothing drives Dan crazy about me!! (kidding!!) It drives Dan crazy that I tell him when to brake when we are driving together, but he has only once told me to stop in our entire relationship…and I do it ALL…the…time. The man is a Saint! Dan: I’m particular about Tupperware 🙂 And I forget to take my shoes off before I walk on the carpet which drives Kerrie crazy. And just generally being a boy about things! LOL

How are the wedding plans coming along? What are your wedding day visions?
Kerrie: Do we have all night? I could talk about my vision for the wedding for hours! Maybe even days!! But in general, our goal is to have a kick-ass party with all of our loved ones. We decided to host the wedding in PA so that our budget would allow for a weekend wedding. We are extremely excited to be able to spend an extended period of time with everyone that we hold near and dear. Family and friends are absolutely our number one priority for our wedding! As long as we have them, our wedding will be perfect! Dan: Kerrie in a beautiful dress is my vision! (Kerrie again:…see why I love him?!?)

As a couple who is currently actively planning your wedding- can you offer any advice to other couples? What would be your biggest piece of advice?
Kerrie: Stay organized and don’t let the little things get to you. Start the process by listing a few key priorities and make sure you stick to them! When you have to compromise on something, go back to your initial priorities for a gut check. It will make the decision-making process so much easier. And don’t stress, everyone looks more beautiful when they are relaxed 🙂 Dan: We haven’t really had any problems so far, probably because Kerrie has done most of the planning! A wedding coordinator does help.

Anything else you would like to share that is interesting, funny, etc?
Kerrie: Dan came as a packaged deal. I’ve never owned a large pet and now I’m the proud Dog Mom to our 90 pound St. Bernard mix, a pup named Nevis. He is a sweet boy and his entire goal every day is for his humans to pet him as long as possible! The learning curve has been steep, but we are learning to love each other!