I am thrilled to share highlights tonight from Christina and Josh’s Virginia Arboretum engagement session at the Blandy Experimental Farm. What a beautiful evening it was with lovely weather and the sweetest, cat loving couple! I has such a special evening getting to know these two and I’m really looking forward to a bridal session and a second engagement session next year ahead of their wedding day at Morais Vineyards!

So here’s a little background information on their sweet love story and proposal stories…and YES! That’s a plural on proposal “stories!” Read on…

On their first date, Christina andJosh discovered that they have the same birthday (2 years apart)! Then only a few dates later, they decided to become a couple. That summer they had so much fun together enjoying paintbars, festivals, amusement parks, and many dinners out as a couple and with friends. Christina describes that time by saying that “the energy was electric.” In October 2021, they drove through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Christina loves taking photos of wildlife and Josh was great at getting her camera out quickly for “camera emergencies.” Throughout the holiday season and the Winter through Spring of 2022, they went with each other to family celebrations, meeting extended family. In May of 2022, on their relationship anniversary, they were invited to a wedding and Christina was also a bridesmaid in a wedding that same weekend the day before. As Christina says, “Love was really flying in the air that weekend and that’s when I think we both knew that we also wanted what we had experienced that weekend with each other. The best way I can sum up our love story at this point is that we are serious about the commitment to one another, each of us giving 100%. At the end of the day, we’re both the silliest when we’re around each other and our love grows stronger with each silly thing we do together.”

Josh surprised Christina with a proposal at Shenandoah National Park. When Christina arrived, not long after, Josh held out a black box, while on one knee, with the shiny ring inside. Christina recalls, “I actually was surprised because while I knew he was going to propose this weekend, I thought it was going to be the next day on a hike. I’m glad he proposed when he did because he caught me off guard and I could enjoy the ring the whole weekend! He listened to what I requested, which was to ‘not wait until the last second to propose.’ He did a great job!”

But the proposal doesn’t end there! On a separate occasion, Christina booked an Uber to take Josh to Old Town Fairfax as a surprise. Josh recalls that “When we got there she was all glammed up, and took me to get dinner at a nearby Indian place since I love spicy food. Then, she had a luxury SUV come and pick us up to take us to the Patriot’s Pawsabilities Cat Lounge at George Mason University (since I love cats!). I was playing in the kitten room and talking with the owner when Christina told me to come outside and read one cat’s collar in particular. When I read the collar it said ‘Josh will you marry me?’ and I turned around to see Christina pulling out a ring. One of the best nights ever!”

Congratulations on your proposals and I cannot wait to continue to serve you both over the next year! Keep scrolling for more highlights from their Virginia Arboretum engagement session.

To view more Northern Virginia weddings and engagement sessions, peruse HERE.
Michelle Lieb with Lieb Photographic is a Virginia Wedding Photographer, Charlottesville Wedding Photographer, Baltimore Wedding Photographer and Maryland Wedding Photographer.  She is also a Washington DC Wedding Photographer, Phoenix Wedding Photographer, Arizona Wedding Photographer and a Destination Wedding Photographer!