THE PROPOSAL

02

In December of 2011, Michael and I went to Washington D.C. on a road trip. We did some sightseeing around the city and toured the Smithsonian! Later that night, he spent almost an hour searching the internet for the best restaurant in Washington D.C. for dinner. I was clueless and figured he just wanted to splurge on a nice date night in D.C! Michael found a place called the 1789 Restaurant which was an old colonial house that had been turned into a restaurant!

We checked our coats, order dinner and I thought nothing of it. He excused himself to the restroom, and unbeknownst to me, he was asking the person who checked our coats to take my camera and snap a few photos while he proposed. He came back to the table with the coat check person and got down on one knee. I was not expecting it at all! It was such a sweet moment and one I'll never forget! 

THE WEDDING

03

We got married on July 28, 2012 at Oak Tree Manor. Photography was one of the most important things to me in our wedding planning. Two of my best friends from high school ended up getting married and started their own photography business, and I just drooled over their work. I knew before we were engaged that I wanted them to be our wedding photographers. We chose our wedding date based on their availability, and I was elated when we booked them! 

Our venue was an old bed and breakfast house with a massive, 100 year old oak tree underneath which we got married. It may have been 94 degrees on our wedding day, but the pictures are amazing! We shared a first look before it was really a thing, and it was my favorite part of the day. I was so nervous before seeing Michael that I was literally shaking! Getting to see him calmed my nerves so much, and I still cried like a baby walking down the aisle. Michael's dad officiated our ceremony, and I never stopped smiling all day!

04

THE HONEYMOON

We went to Costa Rica for our honeymoon! We traveled to the Manuel Antonio rainforest where we saw monkeys and sloths galore, and then we went to the Arenal Volcano area where we stayed at the world renowned Nayara Hotel. 

The second day of our honeymoon, we went on an "Adventure Tour". It consisted of horseback riding, a jeep ride through the rain forest, zip lining into waterfalls, rappelling down trees, a tarzan swing, and carabiner hiking. We thought it would be so much fun! Right after the horseback ride, we were hiking over a creek and Michael slipped and fell onto the rocks. He hit his tailbone so hard that he almost blacked out! Needless to say, he was incredibly sore the entire week! And the bumpy, 5 hour ride a couple days later to the Arenal Volcano on a bus with no shocks didn't help. Poor Michael!

Pro tip: Don't plan a crazy, full day adventure tour two days after your wedding. 

05

MARRIED LIFE

Right after we got back from our honeymoon, we packed up and moved across the country to Michigan. Michael was in the middle of getting his masters degree at the University of Michigan, so after the wedding, I moved up there with him! We lived there during our first year of marriage. 

We have been married for 11 years! It really does go by so fast! Before Michael met me, he had never been out of the country. He didn't even have a passport! We have been so blessed to have traveled the world together. So far, we have been to 23 countries together! Some of our favorite destinations have been Austria, France and Japan. 

In 2015, we bought our first house! I will never forget when we got the keys. Michael set out our welcome mat, hung up the front door wreath and carried me across the threshold. It was the sweetest thing and totally made me cry. Since moving in, we have completely renovated our master bathroom and four other spaces in our home!

06

PARENTHOOD

We had been married for five years when we decided to start a family. What we didn't know, is how long it would take for that dream to become a reality. It took us two years before we finally got pregnant. I broke down in tears when we got the positive test result. 

James was born on February 24, 2020! After 26 hours of labor without an epidural, my dream of becoming a mother came true. I never knew just how incredible being a mother would be until we had James. He has brought so much joy into our lives that I cannot even remember what our life was like before him! He is the happiest little boy and has a big fan club on Instagram! He has changed our lives and has reminded us of what is really important in life. 

Running a full-time business with a toddler is definitely challenging! But our home is filled with silliness and laughter, and I wouldn't have it any other way.