Sara & Mike | Engagement Session



Sara and Mike, who met through mutual friends after moving in the same Washington D.C. circles for years, plan to say “I do” with the help of Charleston’s Gregory Blake Sams Events in the coming months. In the meantime, they shared their charmer of an engagement photo shoot with all of us. But before you dive into those sumptuous shots, get a load of their proposal story. Sometimes it’s best to get a story straight from the groom-to-be’s mouth.

Mike: I had the ring hidden in our D.C. apartment for weeks and convinced Sara that it made sense that year for us to spend Christmas separately with our respective families, me in Connecticut and her in Ohio. What I didn’t tell her was that I had a plane ticket from Connecticut to Ohio on Christmas Eve. I arrived in her hometown during a fairly serious snowstorm and proceeded to the hotel. I had looped her brothers in on the surprise, knowing her mom would most likely have let the cat out of the bag. On Christmas morning, I called the boys to make sure Sara was up and showered and dressed for their big family brunch. I had given Sara a card before we left D.C. and asked her to read it on Christmas morning. I called her (from outside her parents’ house) and asked her to read the card; as I approached the front door she read the last line that said, “Oh and by the way, you have a gift at the front door,” and I rang the doorbell. The rest is kind of a blur, but I saw a picture of myself on a knee and people told me she said “Yes,” so I think it worked out pretty well.     

Venue: The Mills House | Images: Catherine Ann Photography | Planner: Gregory Blake Sams Events

The Wedding Row

February 20 2019
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you met. Rachel: It was in Nashville, and Shaun was there on weekend trip for a University of Georgia-Vandy football game. I was there on a whim, on an impromptu...

February 19 2019
Ryan and Paxton chose Charleston for their engagement photos because the city holds a special place in the heart—if he hadn’t been a Citadel cadet, the two may never have met. Here’s how they came to...

February 18 2019
Allison and Josh met at a two-stepping bar, so we would expect nothing less than a seriously Southern wedding from the two, and as you can tell from the photos, they did not disappoint. After Josh...

February 15 2019
North Carolina natives Taylor and Bennett met when the two were sophomores at N.C. State. Five years after they had become an item, they were in Manhattan where, says Bennett, “The ring was burning a...

February 14 2019
After going to the same high school in Spring Lake, New Jersey, Carly and Chris’s paths finally intersected long after graduation at a mutual friend’s house. “Late nights drinking and playing games...

February 13 2019
Trust us when we say that you won’t find a more low-key pair than these two. Nashville, Tennessee couple Emily and Daniel wanted an intimate, family-only wedding for their Big Day, and they chose to...

February 12 2019
OK, prepare yourselves—this is a sweet one. It began when Stephanie was working at the front desk of a chiropractor’s office in the Philadelphia area, one that Bryan’s father frequented. Bryan’s dad...

February 11 2019
You really can’t beat Charleston’s sunset views over the water, and Katie and Zane’s nuptials at Harborside East took full advantage of just that with the gorgeous harbor as their backdrop. The...