Oh my goodness, we seriously couldn’t have asked for better early spring weather for Julie and Zack’s Central Park, NY engagement session!! It was absolutely perfect. The trees just started blooming, so you know I was all over capturing that beauty! 🙂 These two are athletes and super fun-loving, so they were up for all my wild ideas! They had the best time just laughing together through the whole session. Central Park is enormous… every time I have a session there, I see a new part of the park that I’ve never seen before! This time was no different. I love all the unique little bridges throughout the park – they always make for gorgeous backdrops when we stumble across a new one! It’s so fun that a place that is so well-known can continuously be unique and special no matter what!
Julie and Zack first met in 7th grade! Julie was new to public school, and she still remembers the first thing he ever said to her on the 2nd or 3rd day of their tech lab! She barely knew anyone, and they were asked to build something, and Zack asked if he could use the glue gun after her, so when she handed it to him, he said, “Ew, your hands are so sweaty!” What a romantic thing to say to the woman you’ll end up marrying, haha! They started becoming more friendly during sophomore year of high school, casually dated during senior year, and attended prom together! They officially started dating at the end of their freshman year of college – Zack went to University of Maryland and Julie transferred to Georgetown University, so they were able to spend a lot of time together both away at school and back home. Their relationship kept getting stronger over the years! They now live in Manhattan together and have a ton of the same interests, so they’re always up to something, whether it be attending a music festival, watching sports, going to the gym, or starting a new show! They said that no matter what, they’re always having a great time together!
Zack found his way with words since the first time he spoke to Julie, so when proposal time came around, he surprised her in the best way! Julie says, “I am the quarterback for a women’s charity flag football team (“The Blondetourage”) that helps to raise money for CaringKind NYC, an organization that supports Alzheimer’s patients and caregivers. Each season consists of 4 months of practices that leads up to one big game in May where we take on “The Bru Crew.” Last year, both teams combined raised over $200,000 during the season. For the charity reasons and because of my competitive and athletic nature, I take the game very seriously; I really pour my heart and soul into it. The first year that I played, Zack, my parents, and about 10 more of my friends were at the game to cheer me on, so when I had another big family and friends turnout this year, I didn’t think twice about it. The game was tough, we ended up losing, and I actually walked over to the stands to meet everyone afterward with tears in my eyes and in a terrible mood. We had plans to go to a concert that night (unbeknownst to me part of Zack’s proposal celebration) but there was no way I was going anywhere after that loss (so I thought). After some consolation from my friends and family, the official game photographer came over to me and recognized me as the MVP from last season. When he asked if he could take a few pictures, Zack jumped in one and proposed mid picture! I was SO caught off guard, on the biggest emotional rollercoaster (Am I crying because we lost?? Am I crying because I’m engaged??), but couldn’t have asked for a more special moment—surrounded by all of my friends and family, as part of a game and cause that means so much to me, and finally engaged to my best friend after years of dating!”
These two are blessed to have such a close-knit group of best friends that they are always going out and doing something fun. Primarily, they go to a lot of electronic music festivals and concerts with their group throughout the year. When it comes time for a date night, they love to watch sports together, so if there is a good game on, they’ll head to the bar and grab some food and beer. They also get their sushi fix in pretty regularly and love nothing more than to sit up at the sushi bar and eat as much sashimi and rolls as they can! Zack says he loves Julie’s positivity, her drive, and how compassionate she is and Julie says she loves how supportive and loving Zack is, and he makes her laugh!
These two are the epitome of a good time, and I am so excited to share the images from their beautiful springtime session on my blog today! Thank you both for being up for all of my ideas and for just being the cutest ever!! I am SO excited for your big day at Seasons next spring! <3
