ashley + greg | blagden alley shaw dc mural engagement

A quintessential boy meets girl at a bar love story, at the right place at the right time… and I couldn’t love them and their playful relationship anymore if I tried! Ashley and Greg have such a genuine love for each other that would shine through with every place we explored together – they’re the perfect blend of head-over-heels-in-love sweethearts and passionate urbanites and I can’t wait to share more from their colorful Shaw D.C. engagement session with you!!

I’m also smitten with their answers when asked what they love most about each other… Greg: “her infectious personality” and Ashley: “his sense of humor” and after spending more than 5 minutes capturing them, I can say with 100% certainty these favorite traits are both SO true and easily visible. 🙂

Here’s how it all came to be in their words… “Ashley was out with her (at the time) future sister-in-law for her bachelorette party in Annapolis, and Greg was out with one of his best friends after taking a day off to go to an Orioles game in Baltimore. It was a Friday night in September, and we both happened to be at the same bar in Annapolis, even though neither of us lived closer than 45 minutes away. Ashley and Greg made eye contact while Ashley was on her way to the restroom at Pusser’s with her future sister-in-law, and after they came out, Greg followed them outside where he proceeded to walk up to Ashley and offer to buy her a drink. They got to talking and exchanged phone numbers and have been together ever since!”

How’d the proposal take place? “At DISNEY WORLD! Disney is one of Ashley’s favorite places to visit. Ashley and her mom often visit every other year, and 2017 was the year! The trip was planned for September 2017, so they could visit during the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. Greg came along for the fun! After a few days of Disney magic, he told Ashley that he had something planned for Friday night just for the two of them, so she went along with it. That evening, they drove to the Grand Floridian resort and Ashley was immediately impressed! They took a walk around the grounds before boarding a private pontoon boat that Greg had chartered just for the two of them. After they got on the boat, a bottle of champagne was brought out and the boat took off for a tour of the Seven Seas Lagoon around the Magic Kingdom. After a beautiful boat ride around the lagoon seeing some of the magic of Disney, the boat parked in the middle of the lagoon, in front of the Magic Kingdom just in time for the evening fireworks! The boat had speakers so they could hear the music playing during the fireworks, but there was no music needed as Greg got down on one knee under the fireworks and asked Ashley to spend forever with him! It was truly a most magical moment!”

My favorite engagement sessions are MADE up of unique ideas that celebrate who you are as a couple and what you love to do together. When you suggest your favorite places to me, it then turns into a fun date that I get to tag along on, learning more about your personalities, how you define cozy and watch you interact in the most natural way… it becomes less about posing for the camera and all about just. being. you… together.

When I learned how Ashley and Greg live in DC but are planning a chic Baltimore wedding at the Sagamore Pendry in Fells Point, I couldn’t stop smiling (MY KIND OF PEOPLE alert!). Then I learned they wanted to celebrate all of the quirky and fun, colorful murals and urban spots near where they live in DC and I audibly shrieked. I had no idea Shaw was full of so many incredible vibrant urban art installations alongside some of the best wine bars and award-winning restaurants!

We started at La Jambe, a French wine bar that had the most amazing mural painted on a wall that was washed with natural light and had pink parasols hanging from the ceiling… I could have stayed here for 3 hours, but we stayed for about 7 minutes before heading to our next stop. 😉

Blagden Alley is definitely my new favorite urban space. Brick paved walks with walls that are colorful, dynamic, geometric, textured and full of character PLUS the best rainbow Love mural by Lisa Marie Thalhammer – it was MAGIC!

We had the funkiest neighborhood bar Lost and Found, all to ourselves and enjoyed drinks against the vinyl record wall as well as the back bar area that had the last hint of light creeping in…

A+G, we are SO excited for your upcoming wedding working alongside Lemon + Lime Event Design and know it’ll be a day full of the sweetest smiles and most beautiful moments as you officially become husband and wife!!!

xo,
Naomi