Their Session: Batsto Historic Village, Hammonton, NJ
I had the BEST time exploring Batsto Historic Village with Francesca & Christian! Batsto is around the corner from where I grew up, and I just love all the nature, architecture, and history this place has to offer! We ended up with a perfect overcast fall day for Francesca & Christian’s engagement session! These two are so much fun, and I loved getting to document this season of being engaged! I can’t wait to share some of my faves from their engagement session, but first, let me tell you a little about their story!
Their Love Story
When I asked Francesca & Christian to share with me one thing they love about each other Francesca said, “I love how dependable Christian is. No matter how busy our lives get, I know that when I need him, he’s there with love and support.” And Christian said, “I love how genuine and authentic Francesca is. She’s also crazy smart, yet so unassuming about it.”
How They Met
How Francesca & Christian met sounds like the plot to a good romance movie! Everything about their story is so incredibly sweet, and I can’t get enough of it. In Francesca’s words, “We met about a week before we were about to start law school. We had moved into the same house, which had two apartments on the second floor. I was SUPER nervous to start school, but Christian was so laid back and put me at ease. We spent a lot of time talking that week and getting to know each other. (Fun fact: my mom met Christian first when we were moving my things in. She told my sister right then and there “one of you are going to marry that guy.” She still gives herself credit!)”
“Anyway, by the time school began, we were classmates, housemates, and best friends. Everyone around us quickly realized we were a package deal. We actually remained the best of friends for 2 and a half years before realizing that our relationship was more than that. One day, during our final year of school, I kissed him totally out of the blue. A few days later, Christian told me he was in love with me. Everything just fell right into place after that.”
“Fast-forward to post law school, and our relationship looks a little different. We no longer are able to run across the hallway to each other whenever we please. After graduation, I moved to Scranton and started a job there. Christian, who commissioned into the Army in 2014 and was in law school on an education delay, received his assignment to Fort Bragg, NC. We’ve been doing long distance ever since — from Christian’s deployment to the Middle East to my job relocation to Tampa, FL, we make it work. We are SO looking forward to the day where we can physically be together again, on a more permanent basis.”
The Proposal
Okay…this story is too good. Christian was SO thoughtful and sweet in how he asked Francesca to be his wife. Francesca tells it best, “We always tell people that the key to making long distance work is putting in the time and effort to see each other as much as possible. That being said, seeing each other often results in us taking trips to random places not only around the country, but around the world. This particular weekend, we had planned to meet in Asheville, NC for a “Pre-Christmas getaway.” We spent the day exploring all that the mountain town has to offer. Randomly throughout the day, Christian kept giving me different rocks, each one marked with a place we’d been together — Greece, Dubai, Atlanta, Seattle, to name a few. Christian explained that he had been collecting the rocks since our very first trip as a couple. While I thought it was totally sweet he had been doing this for the last several years, he always surprises me with his thoughtfulness, so I didn’t think too much of it. We finished our day in Asheville with a “Christmas by Candelight” tour of the Biltmore Estate. The last stop of the tour was the most magnificent Christmas tree I’d ever seen. As I stood there admiring the tree, Christian told me that he had one last rock for me. Before I knew it, he was down on one knee!”
How cute is that!? I’m obsessed with this story and these two! 🙂
Francesca & Christian
Francesca & Christian, thank you so much for such an incredible evening taking your engagement photos! You two are the best, and I’m so grateful for you! I can’t wait for your wedding day next year, but in the meantime soak in every minute of being engaged!! 🙂 Sending you two all my love! xoxo
