Southport Harbor Engagement Session in Fairfield, CT | Ashley & Jim

A SOUTHPORT HARBOR ENGAGEMENT SESSION

We had SO MUCH FUN with Ashley and Jim at their Southport Harbor engagement session! This little section of Fairfield, Connecticut is one of my favorites, especially for its coastal views and quintessential New England neighborhood. Jim and Ashley hadn’t been here before, so Arturo and I were excited to take them around and photograph their engagement portraits at some of my favorite spots in the area!

I remember the first time I spoke with Ashley on the phone this past December to chat about the wedding day she and Jim are planning. We shared plenty of laughs as she told me about the details of their day. In the months leading up to their engagement session, we would go back and forth replying to each other’s Instagram stories; her stories alone showed me what a blast these two were going to be to spend time with!

Jim and Ashley were originally supposed to get married this September, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, they decided to postpone their wedding to next summer. After spending an evening with these two, we simply cannot wait for their wedding day!

THE PROPOSAL STORY

Two or three years ago, Jim and Ashley attended an event with some friends at the Bronx Zoo called “Brew at the Zoo”. After some dancing, many drinks, and hanging with friends and animals, the two were walking back towards the Fordham train station to go home. Ashley and Jim both agreed that they were incredibly hungry, so they strolled into a typical Bronx bodega and grabbed a couple of buffalo chicken sandwiches. As soon as they arrived at the train station, Jim and Ashley immediately started in on their food. He looked over at Ashley and said to her, "Ash, you're my best friend."

In March of 2019, Jim planned his proposal and figured out the perfect cover-up to get Ashley to be where he wanted her when he wanted her there. Jim had been wanting to go to Little Italy in the Bronx for quite some time and the way to get there from their home is through the Fordham train station. That day Ashley and Jim walked around Little Italy, enjoyed some coffee and cake together, and bought some groceries. On their trip back home, they arrived at the Fordham train station and sat down on the same bench where Jim told Ashley she was his best friend. Unsuspecting that a proposal was about to happen, Ashley casually began talking about Game of Thrones. Before she knew it, Jim was asking her to marry him!!

Jim and Ashley are celebrating their summer wedding day next August at Jonathan Edwards Winery in Stonington, Connecticut. If this engagement session is any indication of how much fun their wedding is going to be, Arturo and I are so excited for their day to arrive! Congratulations Ashley and Jim!!

When did you know you'd found "the one"?

Ashley: “I knew pretty quickly that James was the one for me. Everything just made sense when I was with him. He has made me the best version of myself, laughing and smiling all along the way.”

Jim: “I always had a feeling Ash was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. When I told her she was my best friend that's when I knew for sure.”

What's one thing you love about your partner?

Ashley: “His ability to make me belly laugh at anything and everything.”

Jim: “Her smile.”

Besides getting married, what is one thing you're looking forward to on your wedding day?

Ashley: “Having everyone share a part in our love story.”

Jim: “Bringing our families together… and watching Ash dance. She needs a lot of space when she dances because she's kicking and punching and shifting around like a basketball player on the dance floor. Her moves require a lot of real estate.”

What's one thing you're looking forward to about marriage?

Ashley: “Laughing our way through life with each other by our side, forever.”

Jim: “Being able to take up the majority of the bed and she can't leave me because of it!“

I hope you enjoyed this summer engagement session at Southport Harbor!  Do you know Ashley and Jim?  Show them some love by commenting below!


ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, and beyond.  We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love. 

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