Happy Monday folks! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are raring to go for another week! Let’s start off with a fair-ly lovely engagement shoot from the fabulous Jonathan Ivy Photography! I say fair-ly lovely because Luis and Armandina’s engagement shoot was literally a day spent at the fair. It’s a play on words! Get it? ;)

Although Luis and Armandina met at work, it was the FIFA 2006 and mutual soccer-loving friends that brought them together. It’s funny because neither one of them were really into soccer. It took just one month – the month of June to be exact – and 3 to 4 soccer games a night for them to realize something between them.

They started dating June 24, 2006. Both Armandina and Luis had previously been in long-term relationships they thought were headed for happy-ever-after. Neither relationship ended that way and they both believed that that type of happy ending just wasn’t in the cards for either of them. (I’m going to insert an old adage that I think is very appropriate: Sometimes good things fall apart, so even better things can come together. Truth.)

They spent a lot of time together at work, catching all the soccer games, and sometimes dinner or a movie afterward. They had many a conversation that often shifted to questions about what the other liked or their opinion on this or that topics. One night, Luis asked Armandina if she could be anything or anyone in the world, who or what would she be? She told him that she would love to live the life of a pirate. Now, most everyone’s immediate thought after hearing the word pirate is thief. (Funny, mine’s always Johnny Depp.) But Luis, knew that Armandina’s response meant something entirely different. He knew she meant the lifestyle of a pirate – with no boundaries, little to no rules, and seemingly endless amounts of freedom.

One of Luis’ favorite artists, Joaquin Sabina, wrote a song called La Del Pirata Cojo. It talks about not actually living the life of someone else, but dreaming yourself into the lives of others. The song mentions many different lives, but he eventually chooses the life of a pirate. Not one of Luis’ friends or family members had ever understood why that life (the life of a pirate) would be better than say Al Capone in Chicago, Casanova in Venecia, or others mentioned in Sabina’s song. But Armandina did. (Smile.)

For the next 3 1/2 years, Luis and Armandina loved, worked, and practically lived together. But Armandina was hesitant of that next step. Marriage. She only referred to it as the “M” word. While both were very committed to the relationship (regardless of marriage), Luis wanted to take their relationship to that next level. Still a little afraid, Armandina wanted that too. She always told Luis that she had not expected him to come along or to sweep her off her feet like he had. (Aww!)

On December 28th, 2009, Armandina arrived at Luis’ house for a quick bite to eat before movie night. Upon her arrival, she noticed the table set, but not for a quick bite like they’d planned. She questioned Luis if there had been a change in plans as he came toward her with two glasses of wine. He promised they would still see the movie, but it would be a much later viewing. Curious, she joined him at the table where he presented her with a baby blue box measuring 5-inches all the way around. Not the typical size box an engagement ring would be found in. But inside the box was a ring. A crystal solitaire ring paperweight. The very same one she had seen and admired earlier in the year at a Farmers Market in LA. She looked up to find Luis on bended knee holding a much smaller, but very similar version of the ring in his hand. He told her that her admiration of the ring paperweight was his only indication as to what type of ring she would like as he had never known her to pick up something she didn’t like. Then said the words every girl hopes to hear one day… and she. said. yes. (Yay! Such a cute proposal, no?)

Fun Fact: The very same month Armandina and Luis got engaged, the Museum of Natural Science was featuring a Real Pirates exhibit! Neither believe that was a coincidence. (And neither do I.)

{Behind the Lens with the fabulous Samantha Foster of Jonathan Ivy Photography} When we approach an Engagement Shoot, our goal is to tell the couples’ story through their photos. We highly encourage bringing multiple outfits, visiting multiple locations, and bringing various props to the shoot. We start working with our couples early on to help them choose the best items to tell their story. In the end, we place all their photos to a song that they love to share with their friends and family. All in all we want our couples to walk away not only having had fun at the shoot, but to encourage even more fun when they share the slideshow of their time together with their family and friends.

We tend to always walk away from an engagement shoot with a sense of excitement! We love meeting new people, helping them tell their story, and creating memories that will last a lifetime. We feel so blessed to have a job that not only allows us to do what we love, but that allows us to do it together (as husband and wife). At the end of every photo shoot – we send our couple off, hop in the car, look at each other and say “We have the most amazing job!” In the case of Armandina and Luis, we specifically love the culture we got to learn and become a part of. Hearing Armandina whisper “Mi Amour” to Luis while we snapped photos stole my breath away.

The image of that alone is enough to give me the best kind of chills! :)

Congratulations Armandina and Luis – who tied the knot on November 7th, 2010!! We wish you nothing but the best of luck! And most importantly love and happiness in the years to come! Thank you for sharing your love story with all of us today! And a special thank you to Samantha of Jonathan Ivy Photography for once again sharing her fabulous talent with us all!

Happy Monday!

xoxo