Katie + Jake | Charleston Engagement

Katie + Jake chose beautiful Charleston, SC for their engagement session. Walking around the historic streets of Charleston then heading over to the beach at Wild Dunes. I loved capturing this sweet, funny couple and had the best time with them! I’m excited for their upcoming wedding!!

 

Q: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you two first meet?

 

We met through a mutual friend in high-school and met up at a fireworks show. I put Jake in the friend zone for a few years. 4 years later, in efforts to make another guy jealous, I went out on a date with Jake and the rest is history. I definitely knew that I loved him on that first date!

 

Q: What makes your relationship special? Tell us some things that you both value in your time together. (Example: pushing each other to new limits, love to travel, huge comic book fans, foodies, etc.) What makes your relationship unique?

 

Well, our relationship is special because we have gotten to grow up together and be present for a lot of “firsts”. We have both been a part of each other’s lives for exciting times like the weddings of siblings, fun milestones such as 21^st birthdays, and the birth of my nephew, however we have also been able to support each other through difficult times like the loss of grandparents and fur babies.

 

I would say that we both love to try and experience new things together. Whether it’s a new restaurant, movie, or place to travel. We get excited experiencing new cultures and making new traditions, and it’s even more fun getting to share that “first” with the one that you love.

 

 Q: How did you know your partner was the one? When did you first know this in your relationship? (These may often be the same moment, but aren’t always)

 

I knew that Jake was the one after the first date. He made me feel so comfortable, nervous, and excited all at the same time! He has continued to make me feel important, beautiful, and loved throughout the duration of our relationship. The way that he treated others was infectious, and I knew that I wanted that quality in a potential husband. Through all of the hills and valleys of our relationship, he has never let me go and always makes me a top priority.

 

Q: Give us all the details about the proposal. How and where did it happen? Was it a surprise? What was the planning process?

 

Definitely a BIG surprise. We had a water outage in my town, so of course I did not even get to wash my hair. I had on fake gel nails from Walmart and thought I had found such a deal. Thank God, my mom convinced to go to the nail salon for an actual manicure. Jake told me to meet him downtown (in Charleston) and we could go to dinner after he got off work. He said that we had not gone on a date night in a long time, so this one needed to be special. He told me that I could park my car at a park that had free parking so that he could drive us to the dinner location. When I arrived to the park, Jake was sitting on a bench that overlooked the harbor with sailboats in the background. I sat down with him and he asked me if I liked his new hair cut that he paid $40 for. I said “you’ve never spent that much on a haircut so something special must be happening.” That is when he said “well it is” and got down on one knee to propose. I was so excited that I blacked out and never responded. I just cried tears of joy…. I finally gave a delayed “yes” after about 2 min. I remember looking down at the ring and thinking “I could not have picked out something more perfect even if I tried”.

 

Q: We’re all about the bling… Tell us all about that ring!

 

Jake claims that he took mental notes for about 2 years and crept on my Pinterest page multiple times, so that he could surprise me with the perfect ring! It is gorgeous and very traditional. The band is white gold with diamonds that go around the band. The center diamond is a traditional round solitaire that is held in place by 4 prongs. I can go weeks without cleaning and it still keeps its sparkle. It is truly timeless and something that I will cherish forever!

 

Q: Are you excited to start planning your wedding day? Do you have any ideas in mind yet?

 

We are actually getting married pretty soon! Planning has been fun and has allowed me to express my style. I want my wedding to feel intimate and have a romantic look. I am choosing traditional, timeless colors/ flowers/ decorations and am going by the motto “less is more”. The COVID pandemic has taught me that everything DOES NOT have to be perfect, and at the end of that day- it’s not about the “stuff” but the commitment that we are making to one another.