Julie Floro Photography beautifully captured Abby and Wesley’s undeniably loving relationship. The photographer’s connection to this couple is absolutely sweet, and these photos show just how intimate this session was. Peace Valley Park was the perfect backdrop to these natural photos, especially since this couple loves the outdoors. No wonder they have the cutest rustic proposal story ever! Happiness can be felt throughout this entire session, and the lovely photographs cohere with this couples enchanting love story.
From the Photographer, Julie Floro Photography: “This shoot is particularly special to me because Abby was one of my first friends ever growing up. Our moms were best friends so we grew up together. The memories come in snippets, but when I remember days spent with Abby I remember running in fall leaves, rainy cabins in the mountains with days spent collecting toads, Eric Carl books, sunflowers, Harrison the dog, dress up, make believe, and the Johnny Appleseed prayer over play date lunches. Now almost 20 years later, thanks to the internet and a beautiful engagement, we reconnected and I got to meet the man that she will be spending the rest of her life with. Photographing Abby + Wesley was so refreshing and inspiring. Their love is so natural and genuine and by the way they play off each other’s words and gestures, it is undoubtedly obvious that they are perfect for one another. I am so excited that our paths have reconnected after all these years and that Abby has found Wesley. He is so gentle and loving to her and while I have only seen them together once I could tell just by the way they were in this moment that their love is a special one. The evening was golden and the weather too perfect for words. We walked through an entrance of purple wildflowers that welcomed us into the quiet of the woods, sat alongside silent winding streams, and as the sun set, the fields were bathed in golden light and fairy flecks.”
How They Met:
“We met through mutual friends while we went to the same college.”
“I love that Wesley is kind, gentle, and steady. He is very self-confident and self-aware. He knows himself and is confident enough to be silly in front of others and laugh at himself. That was such a huge indicator of our connection. I’ve always been attracted to “the funny guy.” He is both the kind listener and the life of the party. Oh, I love him”
The Proposal:
“Wesley proposed to me through a scavenger hunt run by like 15 of our closest friends. I would receive a clue about a location around Harrisonburg, VA and Eastern Mennonite University that meant a lot to us or was significant in our story of getting together. One of our friends was driving me around, and when I figured out where the clues pointed me to, we’d go and there would be other friends of Wesley and I waiting to read the next clue to me. There were seven or eight locations, the last of which was a lake in West Virginia, where Wesley had prepared a huge pizza party and was waiting on a blanket for me. When I approached him he had a photo album with pictures from various points in our relationship arranged chronologically. When we reached the most recent photo, he looked at me and said, “What do you think comes next.” Then he popped the question. After that, we ate pizza and swam in the lake with all of our friends. It was really wonderful.”
Engagement Session Inspiration:
“I really wanted photos that captured little intimate moments between Wesley and I, as well as our love of nature. Julie did such a fabulous job of catching those looks between us as well as capturing the gorgeous evening.”
Wedding Planning Experience:
“Wesley and I are almost finished planning our wedding. We get married in a little under two months, so we’re just now finishing the last details. We planned to have an 8.5 month engagement because we wanted to plan at our own pace, and that turned out to be a really good idea. With the exception of some stress along the way, our planning has been pretty relaxed. I don’t think we planned a single thing during the whole month of February!”
Engagement Session Experience:
“Oh, we love Julie. She was so fun and relaxed. She really put us at ease and prompted us to move and pose in ways that seemed natural and comfortable. I would definitely recommend her to all of my friends!”
Vendors | Photography: Julie Floro Photography | Location: Peace Valley Park