Well, the weather outside may not scream summer but this engagement session sure does! Jill and Ross chose Sandy Hook for their engagement photos and even though we had to reschedule their session due to the weather, we ended up having a gorgeous day on the day I met them at Sandy Hook. It’s always so disappointing when a session gets rescheduled but so very rewarding when the weather cooperates for the make-up date!
Jill and Ross have only been engaged since last August but they planned their wedding in under a year and will be tying the knot next month already! These two are so obviously ready to get married. They just cannot stop smiling from ear to ear. When I asked Jill and Ross what they love the most about each other, Ross said that he loves Jill’s personality – he said she is “funny, sweet, and beautiful!” while Jill loves “Ross’s big heart and his relaxed, yet motivated, outlook on life”. Once you start looking through this collection of images, I think you’ll be able to see this for yourself right away because these two are just so expressive and their personalities shine through in each image. Not to mention the personality of their pup! Wait until you meet the little cutie!
For their wedding, Jill and Ross have chosen the Nassau Inn in Princeton, one of our favorite New Jersey towns. We’re so excited that they’ll be doing a first look because that means we’ll have plenty of time to walk around town and on the university campus for their portraits. We cannot wait to see these two as bride and groom!! Here is a peek at their engagement session – more of these two to come in late July!
Sandy Hook Engagement Session
How they met
“Jill and Ross went to Syracuse from 2008 to 2012. Jill and Ross did not know each other during those years (although there is question about being in a Sociology 101 class together. Jill swears they were in the same class but Ross disagrees. It would make absolutely no sense…we digress…just know Ross is right and Jill isn’t).
Fast forward a couple of years. The year was 2013. Jill and Natalie were friends. Ross and Natalie were friends. Ross and Stefan were friends. Stefan and Natalie were dating. Confusing.
Jill and Natalie planned a joint birthday party and Natalie invited Ross to join. Ross and Jill may or may not have flirted a little bit at the event, but Ross being the go-getter he is – did not ask for Jill’s phone number.
Fast forward one more year. Jill asked Natalie to put Jill and Ross into motion thus allowing Ross to do absolutely no work in the creation of this relationship.
A couple of dates and a move to New Jersey later – Jill and Ross were engaged!”
Their first date
“We went on a double date with our two friends. We went out for drinks in Manhattan and then got some pizza. Jill then decided it was past her bedtime and wanted to go home and basically said, “Whelp, I’m going home.” I then offered to walk Jill back to her apartment!”
“We knew things were great from day one. As we dated more and more, it became clear that we were meant for each other.”
The proposal
“We knew we wanted to get engaged in the summer but did not know when it was going to happen. Ross had planned a big hike in Jim Thorpe, PA for a Saturday in August. He played the entire event totally cool – did not give off that anything was about to happen. He even offered to cancel the day the morning of the hike because it was gloomy out. (He knew we would go, regardless). We ended up going on a pretty difficult and not well marked hike up a river and water fall trail. It was hot and humid. He had the ring in his back pack the entire time. When we finished the hike, we set up a picnic on the bank of the river in a small clearing – that is where he proposed. Complete surprise!”
All about the ring
“My favorite feature is the large, round stone! I also really like the band – vintage but timeless. He picked it out with just a little help from his mom and not enough clues from me (Jill).”
Their wedding vision
“Our vision is to celebrate and have the time of our lives with everyone we care about. We want it to be a relaxed and fun day – with a huge party with lots of dancing, drinking, and eating.”
