Everyone has heard of the show “married at first sight” right? Even if you’ve never watched it, it’s pretty clear what it’s about. A girl goes and gets her hair and makeup done, puts on a beautiful wedding dress, then walks down the aisle to a complete stranger and marries him. They have no idea what is coming.
Now imagine the opposite. You know exactly what is coming, but you don’t know when. Technically, you’re for sure getting married. You’ve already set a date, planned your whole wedding, and booked your vendors. The thing is, you’ve never officially been engaged. You’ve been waiting and waiting for it to happen, and you know it’ll be awesome when it does, but in the back of your mind you’re thinking you probably just skipped that step. (It happens. LOL If you don’t believe me, read Kate & Richard’s engagement story here.)
Charlie and Katie were happily planning their wedding without an official engagement. Many people knew they were getting married (myself included) but some friends and family had no idea.
Charlie and I used to work together at Sheetz. While neither of us work there anymore, it was a very fun part of our lives. I always told him that when he was going to propose to Katie, I wanted to be there. I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure if he’d take me up on that. But lo and behold, one day I received a message from Charlie asking me to take their engagement photos. I said “Wait…did you get engaged and not tell me?!” He said no, and that he wanted to officially propose to her during their photo session.
I was so excited! It was going to be amazing! I haven’t photographed many proposals, but it is a favorite of mine!
Katie knew about the whole thing. It wasn’t a surprise. But when that moment came, oh my goodness. Her joy speaks for itself. They were jumping up and down and were so excited.
It was an absolute pleasure to capture Charlie and Katie’s engagement photos at Hartwood Acres Mansion in Allison Park. The mansion is an amazing work of architecture. There is also a huge flower garden right next to it! It was a dream.
Charlie and Katie were married last October, at the Magnolia Room, after just 3 months of planning. Jonathan and I were invited as guests and got to sit at a table with some of my old Sheetz freakz! It was a BEAUTIFUL wedding. Charlie joined the Navy shortly after, and after 6 months, he was able to come home for a visit. Katie planned a big picnic so that everyone who wanted could come and see him. We were able to go and be reunited with friends. Friendships that can last through distance are worth every minute.
Congratulations Charlie & Katie! I wish you both a lifetime of love and happiness!
