2016 might be over but we’re not done sharing our fall work with you all! Today I’m excited to introduce you to Helene and Derek. These two met in Connecticut when they used to work together. They made a great team and bonded as friends at the time. Everyone at work knew Helene liked Derek – so fun! For their engagement photos, we headed to Allaire State Park just as the leaves were gorgeous shades of yellows, oranges, and reds. The fall is always such a beautiful time of year for engagement photos, no wonder it’s always the busiest! Helene and Derek will be tying the knot this coming August so you’ll be seeing them on the blog in just a few short months but for now, enjoy getting to know them below through their engagement photos and sweet love story.
Allaire State Park Fall Engagement Photos
What they remember about their first date:
Helene: “He still thinks our first date was months prior to the official one! We went to this amazing craft beer bar with this amazing pulled pork mac and cheese sandwich! But that wasn’t the best part. We laughed until we had tears, we told stories back and forth, and he treated me so amazingly. I also remember thinking I got a ticket for parking in the wrong spot, but it was just an angry note from a tenant saying I can’t park there, we got a good laugh from the whole thing.”
Derek: “Not sure which one Helene is counting as the first but we hung out a lot before our first ‘real’ date. Helene saying ‘thank you for treating me how I always thought I should have been’, the laughs we shared together and some damn good chicken wings.”
When they knew they had found the one:
Helene: “I knew pretty early that he was something special but I knew he was the one when my dog Zoey started running past me to go see him first. I told him that if she didn’t like him, it definitely wasn’t going to work out! In all seriousness, I knew he was the one when he would make my parents dinner every Monday night.”
Derek: “I could be myself with no reservation and she showed true interest in my hobbies. I knew she was the one when she asked me to watch the Rangers playoff hockey game.”
The proposal:
Helene: “Ah the proposal, what a complete shock. Everyone at Christmas Eve dinner knew but me. He told me that he wanted to give me a gift before tomorrow. He made me close my eyes and he handed me the gift. I used to have this jar full of items I’d collect on our dates and it was overflowing. He gave me an upgrade of a box frame and as I was trying to figure out how to open he got down on one knee! Complete shock is an understatement! When I came to, his words were so sweet and the ring was beautiful. Apparently I made this face when I first saw the ring… and I haven’t lived it down yet. Unfortunately he has it all on video to take screen shots of it!”
Derek: “After much anticipation of receiving the ring hours before the proposal, I completely shocked her after pretending to give her a Christmas gift unrelated to the proposal. She was too busy trying to figure out how to open the frame that I got her she responded to my proposal with a “what?”. Once she realized what was happening her eyes about popped out of her head with a happy yes. Of course I got this priceless face on video!”
One thing they love about each other:
Helene: “His ability to make me laugh even when I’m mad at him. I swear it’s a super power of his. He is an all around amazing man who I admire and look up to.”
Derek: “It’s hard to pick just one. Helene is completely selfless. IE Burlington, VT pond hockey tournament, cheering me on in negative temperatures! And her amazing love for my children, I am so thankful for them to have a role model like her.”
Besides getting married, what they’re looking forward to on their wedding day:
Helene: “Sharing the day with all our loved ones and the cute farm animals!”
Derek: “Celebrating our love with friends and family.”
