Tara and Steven have what I like to call a modern day fairy tale.  When they met on eHarmony almost two years ago, they both wondered if they would match up as well in person as they did on paper.  Tara and Steven chose PF Changs for their first date.  The wait was an hour and a half, but this was okay because it gave Tara and Steven time to get to know each other.

A year went by and Steven knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Tara.  On their one year anniversary, he decided to take their relationship to the next level.  Under the pretense of meeting their good friend Tom in Philadelphia, Steven led Tara into Love Park.  Under the famous LOVE sign, Steven got down on one knee and asked Tara to marry him.  She whispered yes, and then a little louder YES, just to make sure Steven heard her through their excitement!  They celebrated with red velvet cupcakes (their favorite) and Tara said it was one of the most romantic nights of her entire life.

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing Tara and Steven in Long Branch, NJ.  We started at Monmouth University and made our way down to Pier Village. Thank you Tara and Steven for spending the day with me!  I had so much fun, and I am already looking forward to your wedding!

Tara and Steven will be getting married July 21, 2013.

Their wedding will be at the Crystal Plaza in Livingston, NJ and it is going to be BEAUTIFUL!

We started the engagement session in one of Tara’s favorite gardens at Monmouth University.

Tara is actually a faculty member of Monmouth, while Steven attends for grad school.  This university holds a special place in both their hearts.

Tara and Steven got special permission to take pictures in one of the buildings on campus.

They later told me the original Annie was filmed here!  SO COOL!

GORGEOUS!

After we finished at Monmouth University, we headed down to Pier Village for some fun photos at the beach!

Tara, you are STUNNING!

You might remember this pose from today’s vlog. 🙂

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

 As the sun started to set, it cast a warm light on Tara and Steven that absolutely made them GLOW!

Tara and Steven, you are an amazing couple with beautiful hearts.  I look forward to documenting your wedding and watching your love story grow!