It’s a rare occasion when I have the privilege of photographing a couple together more than once before their wedding day.  But I had the joy of photographing Niyati and Jeremy in Arizona for a bridal shoot as well as Jeremy’s surprise proposal earlier this year!  And believe it or not, their wedding day is right around the corner.  So this week, they were up in Virginia for their engagement session at Rixey Manor.

I really love this couple…their plans, their dreams, their love of family…it has been such a fantastic journey getting to know them more.  And the engagement session was no exception.  Niyati was stunning in her two piece emerald green off-the-shoulder top and peachy, flowing, floral skirt. Yisell Santos helped complete the look with her hair and make up.  Jeremy looked equally dapper in his light grey suit and together they were ready to stroll the grounds.

Their love story:

Prior to their time with me at Rixey Manor, Niyati had shared the story of how they met.  I’d love to share it here as well in her words:  “It all started with ‘Happy New Year, gorgeous!’ as we exchanged messages on a social media site. In December 2016, prior to ringing in the New Year, I found out that Jeremy was moving back to North Carolina, his home state, after living in Hawaii for two years. (Later, I found out that he was moving back to settle down and meet a girl and that is just what he did!). So I welcomed him back home and didn’t think anything of it at the time. I definitely didn’t think I would ever meet him in person.”

“On New Year’s Day, Jeremy wished me a Happy New Year and a week later we had a 13 hour long instant chat session. Jeremy now says that it was part of his thorough ‘vetting’ process. Apparently, I passed with flying colors! Phew! He had already added me as a phone contact with his last name so he must have been sure about it from the beginning. All joking aside, we really discovered just how compatible and likeminded we are in every way. He mentioned he would like to take me out to dinner, but he was still waiting for his car to be shipped from Hawaii. Unexpectedly, his car shipped back earlier than scheduled on Friday the 13th that January. So, he drove the two hours to come see me and we went out on our first date that night. The rest is history!”

The Proposal

I had also asked Niyati to share more about their proposal story and this is what she said: “First, we certainly didn’t follow any “normal” timelines when it comes to the proposal and wedding planning. We picked a wedding venue and date, photographer, and planner all before an actual proposal even happened. (Technically, he asked me to marry him before we met, but I don’t think that really counts!)

We both knew we wanted to get married this year, but time was flying by way too fast and we hadn’t given it much thought. In April, we planned an impromptu long weekend getaway where we stayed at Walden Hall in Culpeper, VA. As we were sitting outside enjoying the gorgeous views, we both started talking about how amazing it would be to get married there. Before we checked out, we spoke with the friendly folks at Walden Hall about having our wedding there and a few weeks later we set a date!”

“We also booked Michelle as our photographer soon after as she was on their preferred vendors list (best decision ever!). In May, Michelle sent out an email to her couples announcing that she would be in the Phoenix, Arizona area in June and would be available for a session. It seemed really fun and we both had never visited Arizona so we took her up on the offer! We planned for a couples/bridal shoot at The Lost Dutchman State Park near the Superstition Mountains in Apache Junction, Arizona. It was an absolutely gorgeous background for pictures and a totally different landscape than we are both used to living in Southeastern United States.”

How was the shoot and the surprise?

“We had an absolute blast at the shoot. The sun was beginning to set and we were capturing a few last minute shots while the sun was setting. That’s when Michelle asked if we wanted to change into street clothes so we could have a few shots not in our formal attire. I didn’t think anything of it, so I changed and we started taking a few pictures. Little did I know that Jeremy and Michelle had other plans. It’s all kind of a happy blur now, but I think Michelle asked us to pose a certain way and that’s when Jeremy got down on his knees and proposed. It was totally unexpected and I feel so fortunate that Michelle was able to capture that moment for us!”

I can’t wait to share in their special wedding plans! Two days of incredible celebration and commitment at Walden Hall.  It is going to be such a special day!  Congratulations Niyati and Jeremy!  Scroll down to see more highlights from this incredible engagement session at the fabulous Rixey Manor!

To see more Rixey Manor weddings and engagement sessions, peruse HERE.

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Michelle Lieb with Lieb Photographic is a Virginia Wedding Photographer, Charlottesville Wedding Photographer, BaltimoreWedding Photographer and Maryland Wedding Photographer. She is also a Washington DC Wedding Photographer, Phoenix Wedding Photographer, Arizona Wedding Photographer and a Destination Wedding Photographer!