There is nothing more dreamy and romantic to me than an officer and a Southern gentleman and his girl. It’s the exact image I get when I imagine Ashlynn and Ryan on their very first date. He in his dress uniform, her in a beautiful ball gown at a military ball thrown for the NROTC students at North Carolina State University. Not many women get to wear a ball gown and be escorted by a man in uniform (and get to grab said man in uniform by the collar and plant one on him) on their very first date. They may not have reenacted that picture-perfect night for their engagement session, but they sure do make a pretty, dreamy picture as captured by Robyn Van Dyke Photography!

Ryan and Ashlynn first met at Sammy’s Bar and Grill in Raleigh, NC, while watching a North Carolina State football game with friends. Ryan was so quiet, Ashlynn barely even noticed him at the other end of the table. Ashlynn, on the other hand, was hard to miss. She was screaming at the top of her lungs at the TV…she’s a hardcore Wolfpack football fan ;) Ryan thought she was funny (maybe a little scary) and very pretty. He told her later that the first thing he noticed about her was her beautiful smile.

Their first official date was actually a set up by a good friend of theirs, Lauren. A military ball (Ryan’s an infantry officer in the Marine Corps) for the NROTC students at NC State was coming up on October 15, 2010, and Ryan did not have a date. Lauren encouraged Ashlynn to do it and so she did. When Ryan showed up to pick Ashlynn up, he sent a friend on ahead of him with a dozen roses and a note asking permission to kiss her at the end of the night. Too cute to pass up, Ashlynn decided to plant one on him herself later that evening. She grabbed him by the collar of his uniform and kissed for the very first time.

After their memorable first date and mind blowing first kiss, their relationship actually moved rather slowly. Ashlynn, who loved being single, was hesitant to get into a relationship. Having a very demanding and busy schedule, Ryan was hesitant as well, but knew that Ashlynn was too good to let her get away. As an officer and a Southern gentleman, Ryan pursued her heavily. By the time Halloween rolled around, Ashlynn was sure she didn’t want to let Ryan get away either. It was on Thanksgiving, while driving to Ryan’s grandparents house for dinner, that Ashlynn told him she loved him. She’d jumped headfirst into her relationship with Ryan, going with him to meet his family after only a month of being together, she just knew that what she felt was true. Ryan felt it was too soon for him to respond the same, but by New Year’s Eve there was no denying it, he was in love with her too.

At Ryan’s older brother’s wedding last year, they both realized that they never wanted to live life without the other by their side. Ashlynn told him that even if the Marine Corps sent him to Japan, “Where you go, I go.”

The day before Christmas this past year, Ryan asked Ashlynn to marry him. They were having dinner with her family when he suddenly got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. After about a minute’s worth of “Are you sure?” and “Are you serious?” she said yes!

{Behind the Lens with Robyn} Ashlynn and Ryan are SO cute together, and their happiness is absolutely contagious! We had so much fun with them at their shoot, laughing and getting to know them! I think engagement sessions are the best way to get to know a couple as a photographer, so I purposefully include one in all of our wedding collections. I love developing deeper connections with our clients and getting to know what makes their love unique as well, so I ask our couples to think of locations that have special meaning for the two of them, and maybe even bring along some props that represent hobbies that they share together, etc. With Ashlynn and Ryan, we figured out that downtown Raleigh is very important to their relationship, and they love their dogs, so they brought them along for a few pictures! At the end of the day, it’s about having fun, getting to know our couples, and getting them even more excited about their wedding day! We had the best time with Ashlynn and Ryan, and can’t wait for their wedding!

{Advice for Couples} The best advice we can give to anyone dating or thinking about getting married is to consider each other above all else, and be patient. We are not perfect, and you will make mistakes. But in everything you do, do it with love in your heart and the one you love on your mind. You won’t always do the right thing, but you will always have the right intentions.

Dreamy. Southern. Romantic. Perfect :) Congratulations, Ashlynn and Ryan, and thank you for sharing your love story with us today! We wish you so much love and luck in the years ahead. And a very special thank you to Robyn Van Dyke for sharing their dreamy engagement session with us! xoxo