All good love stories begin with how they met:
When Jonathan and Mary-Kate met in June of 2015 he had just completed his master’s degree at Wayne State and she was in the throes of her junior year at Spring Arbor University. By fate or by chance, having both played collegiate tennis they each decided to sign up at the downriver tennis tournament that was held at Woodhaven high school.
The first day of the tournament was met with pouring rain and moved indoors. Mary-Kate was already on the court warming up when Jonathan walked in. He had a hard time taking his eyes off a certain girl on the first court in front of him. By the end of the match, he had decided to ask the tournament director Jerry to introduce him to Mary-Kate. Jerry happily obliged his friend.
During their brief meeting, the next day sparks flew. The two ended up playing as a mixed doubles pair in another tournament that summer. From that point on Mary-Kate and Jonathan were never apart.
Time passed and May-Kate believed that her and Jonathan would get engaged the summer following 2017. Little did she know that Jonathan had different plans. On a Friday night in March, Jonathan met Mary-Kate and her family at Outback Steakhouse to eat. Following dinner, they went back to Jonathan’s for dessert. As Mary-Kate came out of the bathroom to find Jon in the kitchen he asked her if she had seen the cake. Behind her, at the table she had just passed was a cake that said, ‘Will you marry me?’
When she turned towards Jonathan he was getting down on one knee pulling out a ring box he had hiding behind his back and began saying the sweetest words Mary-Kate had ever heard. Saying “Yes” Mary-Kate waited for Jonathan to stand up so she could hug her prince charming.
The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. That’s what I hope to give you forever.
– The Notebook.
I’ll never get over love stories like this. The ones that begin with a chance meeting, the chemistry of connecting with someone you have never even spoken to yet. Everything about it seems magical and special. But I think that Jonathan and Mary-Kate are the type of people who hold their relationship in a meaningful place in their heart. This was reaffirmed when I met them for their Trenton engagement session. Not only were they the sweetest people, they chose such a meaningful place to them.
We decided to meet at Elizabeth Park in Trenton. It’s one of their favorite spots to meet, go for walks and just enjoy each other’s company. The day was beautiful and unseasonably cool for the end of June with temperatures in the mid-70s. Even the sunset cooperated beautifully to give me some of my favorite images of the session.
I can’t wait to photograph their wedding this fall in Grosse Ile.
