Ahhh, I absolutely love when locations hold a special meaning in my couples’ hearts. Nicole and Andrew chose The Barrow House in Clifton, NJ for their engagement session, which is actually owned by their friends! They gave us access to all of the sweet spots inside, so their photos highlighted all of the super funky, unique decor and style of this location! I especially loved the barn that had a frosted glass ceiling, which meant amazing light, and pretty wood interiors with lots of ferns to compliment it! These lovebirds got super lucky, as the Barrow House happened to br cutting fresh flowers for the restaurant as we were shooting! So, we happened upon the cutest bundle of flowers on the table and we just had to use them for photos, of course. 🙂
Nicole is besties with Samantha Linn – a super talented makeup artist and sweet friend of mine! Sam did Nicole’s makeup for the session, and she absolutely slayed it! Nicole looked stunning, and it was a pleasure getting to photograph more of Sam’s amazing talents! Of course Sam will be doing Nicole’s wedding makeup too, and I can’t wait!! Nicole, Andrew & I enjoyed lunch together afterward at The Barrow House – and I have to say their pizza is excellent! If you’re nearby to Clifton you should definitely check this place out for the good food and amazing ambiance!
Nicole and Andrew go 10+ years back! They worked at clothing store together, where Andrew was actually Nicole’s manager! They got to know each other over the years, but at the time, nothing ever really came of it. Years later, and a little dating on and off in between, Nicole reached out to Andrew on Snapchat after seeing that he was about 5 feet from Chris Martin at a concert (she knew how big of a fan he is)! That Snapchat started it all (again!) and they’ve been together, with Harvey and their other pup Ollivander, ever since! <3 Sometimes love takes patience and the right timing, and I’m so glad these two reconnected at exactly the perfect time!
In Nicole’s words, “The proposal is a little unconventional, but for us it makes sense! I am actually a gemologist and had a large part in designing my ring. My father comes from the middle east and in his culture, the groom and his family must come to the bride and her family and ask for the families to join. Andy went to my dad at his jewelry store and let him know that he wanted to ask me to marry him and that he wanted to start getting my ring together. My dad has been holding on to an antique diamond he purchased years ago because he knew I was in love with it. At this time, I got involved and had my stone polished and worked with a CAD designer to create the ring of my dreams. Our families got together the following weekend and Andy formally asked for me! Once my ring was finished, Andy picked it up and ended up giving the ring to me the following day because he couldn’t hold on to it any longer. He came to my house so our dogs could run around the yard together, and then we went back to his place to hang out where I found a Gryffindor Quidditch shirt on my nightstand next to his bed. I asked him what it was and he told me he had found it in target earlier that day and thought I would like it. He told me to check it out and make sure it was ok and when I picked it up, my ring was underneath! He knows how much I love Harry Potter AND managed to propose on National Dog Day.” Hahah, I love these two and their unique and super special proposal! I was cracking up that Nicole knew that it happen on National Dog Day!
Nicole and Andrew, you two are so much fun, and this engagement session location was such a great fit for you and your style. Thank you for bringing me somewhere new and for inviting me into this part of your story! I’m down for more of that pizza with you two any day! I can’t wait for your big day, it’s going to be incredible and such a blast! Love you both XOXO Can’t wait to hug you so soon!!
