I am so excited to share that Lauren & Andrew’s romantic engagement session is featured on Inspired by This today! Before I dive in to all the fun details from their session, I first want to give you a little background of their beautiful love story, told by the bride-to-be:

“Andrew and I first met when we were in high school – I passed my driver’s test the first day we ever hung out. Like most relationships at that age, we started out as friends – I never expected to date him (let alone marry him!), and vice versa.  Our paths had never crossed before which was quite strange because we both mingled around school a lot – we’re pretty chatty – and had a lot of mutual friends! But it’s all about timing, right? We randomly bumped into each other the week before school started in the Student Services office (we were choosing our parking spots for the upcoming year!). Right as I got into my car to leave, I received a message from Andrew. It was a text saying, “I hope you don’t think this is weird, but I just wanted to tell you how beautiful you look.” I didn’t think it was weird – I thought he was as sweet as pie and I was right. I’ll never forget the day – I wore a floral print strapless dress that I still can’t bring myself to get rid of after all these years. (In just a few short months, I will be sewing a piece of that floral dress into the lining of my wedding gown.) Neither of us expected it but all of a sudden, we fell for each other and the rest is history.

Over the years, we have grown up together and fallen more in love every step of the way. We’ve graduated high school and college, moved across the country together, created our first home, and started our careers. I have watched Andrew transform from the boy who dressed up as a candy bar for Homecoming Week into a hard-working, professional man that I couldn’t love more if I tried. He’s supported me continuously while following my passion and creating LaurenJaclyn.com, my fashion and lifestyle blog. We laugh constantly and find joy in every day. There are countless things that I’ve learned from our time spent together and I know I will learn something new as soon as I finish this sentence. That’s the beauty of sharing your life with someone you love!

Fast-forward eight full years since the moment we met and here we are! We’ve spent every day since November 2, 2009 being best friends and partners in crime. Now we are engaged and happier than ever! Andrew proposed at our favorite hotel in the world alongside tons of florals, romantic candles, and our song being played by a violinist. He led my to a private table with a laptop set up – a video of him asking my parents (who live in Florida) for my hand in marriage was playing. I cried ugly tears and trembled in anticipation of what was coming next. He got down on one knee and asked the question I’d been waiting to hear for all these years. I sobbed and said “of course!” without skipping a beat. As soon as I caught my breath, I wanted to call my parents to share the news, of course. After one unanswered FaceTime call, Andrew assured me that they would answer on the second try. Just as it began to ring again, my beautiful Mommy and special Daddy came walking around the corner to share the news in person. It literally just kept getting better and better. And the best part is, it only gets better from here. I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with Andrew – he is my best friend and true love.“

Gosh, I just love these two. How beautiful is their love story!? I cannot wait to photograph their wedding at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe!

Pat & I had so much fun photographing Lauren & Andrew’s engagement session and hanging out with them all day. They are such a sweet couple & we felt like long-time friends right off the bat! This gorgeous bride-to-be is a lifestyle and fashion blogger, so of course she picked some of her favorite outfits and details for this special occasion to document their love. Both Andrew and Lauren have impeccable taste and we really wanted to show off their different looks in a few locations.

We started out the road trip in San Diego, California and drove 3 hours towards Arizona where we would finally make it to the Imperial Sand Dunes. Each time we drove by a beautiful location, we pulled over to the side of the road and snapped some more breath-taking photos. What was so awesome about this photo shoot was that each time we stopped, it felt like we were in a completely different state! Lake Cuyamaca reminded us so much of Lake Tahoe and the highways of Anza-Borrego reminded us of the deserts in Arizona! When we finally arrived to the dunes, the golden sun was setting just over the horizon & as the light slipped away, we could hardly believe how bright the stars were shining that night.

Lauren wore her Christian Louboutin heels and later, showcased a lovely blush tulle skirt that was perfectly paired with Andrew’s light blue Tommy Hilfiger suit. During the entire engagement session, I couldn’t help but swoon over her Leon Mege white gold diamond ring. But without a doubt, the best accessory was their genuine emotion and true love for each other that was evident throughout the entire day.