Oh happy day! Do we have a special treat for you! Not only do we have a wintry, Valentine’s Day inspired board but it actually features the real engagement shoot and love story of Natalie and Mark as captured by Jillian McGrath Photography. The photos are just so darn sweet we knew we had to feature it. Be prepared to fall in love with their story and proposal. We sure did :)

And because we really couldn’t have said it any better, we’re going to let Natalie tell you their love story herself.

“From the beginning, our story has been a whirlwind of fate-driven events. Mark and I met when a great friend of mine, Amy, suggested I apply for an internship with a local PBS station. When I told her I heard back within hours of submitting my application (both odd and rare) and that “Mark Wallace” was to be interviewing me on the phone (I was studying abroad, far far away in Perugia, Italy), Amy paused, then said, “Dear God. You are going to love that man.” I still remember that phone call and how I felt like I had known Mark for a lifetime without even meeting him. (And how I also felt this flame growing inside, telling me he was to be vitally important to my life, someway, somehow.)

It was an unforgettable feeling, and despite the fact that I got the internship as Mark’s creative assistant for re-branding, I hid from him most of the time because we both were in 3-year relationships. After the internship, I wrote to Mark in an e-mail, asking him for a recommendation for my graduate school application to Columbia University. Somewhere between that first e-mail about the recommendation and the last e-mail, asking to cancel submitting the recommendation as I was having a change of heart about post-graduation plans, Mark and I both broke off our serious relationships. Something – that flame inside of me – kept reminding me about Mark and that first phone call.

Colors: Bright Red, Snow White, Inky Midnight

Our e-mails transformed into an idea to connect on the phone again, just to see what would happen. One 3 hour phone call lead to another, and to another, and then to a few all-night sessions, staying up late into the giddy hours, when finally we had our first date planned for my return home at Thanksgiving. Our first date and that first month were unexplainable, as the happiest and saddest of events transpired within a matter of days. Just 3 days before our first date, Mark’s father passed away unexpectedly. Mark, rightfully so, made plans to postpone our date but his mom, seeing the way he had been over the past few weeks of talking with me on the phone, thought our date would be a better way to heal and cope, so we kept our plans. That first date, our first kiss, all of it was like living on a cloud. I still remember how much we couldn’t stop smiling and how, days later, when we went on a second date with Amy and her boyfriend at the time, I looked over at Mark, sitting next to me and thought, “This feels so right, like we’ve been married for decades.

Since the beginning, our first impressions of each other have molded and shaped our entire relationship and magically, not a feeling or impression has deteriorated in any way. Mark was this man I always dreamed of – extremely intelligent, thought-provoking, encouraging, inspiring, CREATIVE, musical, handsome in that tall-dark-and-handsome kind of way, introverted, a bit nerdy and more than anything, recklessly caring. Mark’s first impressions? “She has a kind voice. That was my first impression. It was an overseas phone call for work and 8 months later I knew she was the person I wanted to be with. Why? Because I was done with relationships and it took someone really special to wake up my soul. All the other details; caring, quirky, über creative, bite-size like Ani Difranco, beautiful, and a music snob just like me…they’re the daily affirmations that a higher power beyond our wildest imaginations is looking out for both of us. This makes me humble and she makes me happy.”

And now here is Mark, describing his proposal…

“I always had an idea of how I’d like to propose to a girl, but this wasn’t it. This situation called for a little more gusto. It made sense for me to film this little circus because of her business (Birdhouse Productions) and our backgrounds. So began the plan to shoot a short film capturing the big question. Throw in a little super 8, a nostalgic family place, ice cream and a whale… presto, the preproduction was set. Filming it was easy because I lied. Most guys go through a series of sneaky moments leading up to the question right? I must have because she was thinking what a great place this is to test out the new super 8 camera, while I was contemplating the subtle physics of how a ring manages to stay in a melting ice cream cone. Turns out there’s no physics to it, just luck. And let me tell you, I am one lucky man.”

Check out the sweet video here.

{Behind the Lens with Jillian McGrath} During an engagement shoot we hope to capture the love that a couple shares authentically and honestly. So when they look back at the images they know that the images are true to them and the love they share.

Whether the couple is super affectionate or a little more reserved we want to make them feel comfortable and set up a stage where they can just relax, take it easy and just enjoy each other. We never want to force anyone into a pose or a location where they may not feel comfortable or themselves. We then step back and observe how a couple responds to each other and then move forward from there to capture the best images that represent who the couple is and the love they share.

Thank you Natalie and Mark for sharing your super sweet love story with us today. You started our month of love off in just the right way. We wish you lots of love and laughter as you begin your life’s journey together. Thank you also to Jillian of Jillian McGrath Photography for making this happen in the most amazing way. :) xoxo