I remember the first time we laid eyes on Courtney was back in May 2021 when we captured her friend, our sweet couple, Chelsea and Patrick’s wedding. She was one of the bridesmaids. Her gorgeous green eyes and sweet demeanor won us over. As much as she wanted to ask us on the day of the wedding if we would consider making a trip to New Jersey to capture her wedding, that day she focused on just being present for her friend. We knew from just that, that when or if she contacted us that our answer would be yes. We knew she was our bride. Genuine, humble, selfless, and kind! 

A couple of days after Patrick and Chelsea’s wedding we got an email from Courtney, she was ready to talk about her day and she wanted us to be a part of it. Of course, our answer was YES! Have you ever talked to someone on the phone and could hear their smile? We could hear Courtney’s smile as soon as she started talking about James, her other half that was stuck halfway across the world because of the COVID lockdowns. 

James finally makes it to the states!

We waited patiently with her for James to finally be able to reach the states so that they could have the day that they so deeply desired, with their friends and family. Well the day finally arrived. James is in the states. They are united and we finally got to meet the man that makes Courtney’s eyes glisten like Christmas lights. 

As soon as we arrived at their house for their session, James made his way down to meet us. Immediately we gave him a hug. Although we had never met or spoke to him before that moment, we felt like, finally! Immediately he asked us to help him with a little surprise. He wanted to propose to Courtney. You see, Courtney and James have been married for three years. As Courtney likes to say, they had a “shotgun wedding” but James wanted her to have the proposal he feels she deserves. To say that she was clueless to what was coming is an understatement. It was by far our favorite moment from their session today. It literally turned from a couples session to an engagement session. 

James and Courtney we cannot wait to continue celebrating with you this weekend! You guys are magical and we are so honored to be the ones to capture your love story! 

James + Courtney | Avalon , NJ