October 21, 2016
Stephanie and Greg make my heart happy! They met in high school and started dating when they were juniors. I mean, does it get any more perfect than high school sweethearts? They spent four years doing long distance while they were at different colleges, but the distance didn’t stop them from building a great connection. Stephanie recently moved to Gainesville to start her career as a teacher while Greg continues his education at UF. They love to travel, hike, go to the beach, spend time with their families, and of course attend Florida football games! Eventually, they hope to move out west (the mountains are calling!).
Greg popped the question this past June in the pouring rain at Washington Oaks State Park. Stephanie was in total shock because she wasn’t expecting him to propose until after he graduated this upcoming May. Greg decided to plan a weekend getaway to St. Augustine. Every time they visited St. Augustine together, it would be a special treat for them. He remembered that Stephanie had once said how beautiful this park was, despite the fact that they had never been there. She had stumbled across it online and had even casually mentioned getting their engagement photos taken there one day. After five months of planning, the day finally arrived, along with a whole lot of rain clouds. After Greg proposed, Stephanie was so confused. It was Father’s Day weekend – how were they going to celebrate with their dads? Little did Stephanie know, Greg had ensured that everyone was there for a surprise engagement party and Father’s Day celebration! What makes this proposal even sweeter? Stephanie’s center diamond is a family heirloom – talk about beautiful!
Thomas and I were so excited to make these engagement photos at Washington Oaks State Park become a reality! We started the session off across the street on the beach. Throughout the day, the weather was good to us (no rain this time around)! And don’t even get me started on Stephanie’s gorgeous gown – ahh! Love it! The oaks and greenery were the perfect backdrop for these two. On top of being an incredibly good looking couple, Greg and Stephanie are so sweet! Because of our early morning drive, they surprised us with a Starbucks card! They also put up with us for hours – we couldn’t stop ourselves….! Everything was perfect and I feel so grateful that Caitlin of Plan It Events connected us.
We couldn’t be more excited for their wedding this May at Bella Collina (our dream venue – all the heart eyes!)!
Gown: Jill Jill Stuart from Rent the Runway // Film Processing: Richard Photo Lab