Waveny Park Engagement Session in New Canaan, CT | Jamie & Taylor
I don’t even know where to begin when describing Jamie and Taylor! They are some of the sweetest, most loving people we’ve ever met. These two met when they both worked together at a pediatric doctor’s office. They’re so in love and share such a romantic connection! If you know me, you know I’m a hopeless romantic, so I instantly connected with Taylor and Jamie from the first time they came to visit Arturo and me in our studio to talk about their wedding photography. These guys had no problem getting cuddled up in front of our cameras during their Waveny Park engagement session in New Canaan, Connecticut this week! Their session came with sun, clouds, rain, and some pretty strong wind all within an hour! Despite the crazy weather, Jamie and Taylor ROCKED their portrait time!! They were so kind and even brought Arturo and me some of the most delicious homemade chewy chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had!
Taylor proposed to Jamie on a random Wednesday night in early May. Earlier that day, Jamie’s work week seemed to be dragging on, and all she wanted to do that evening was go to her favorite local restaurant, Little Pub, for dinner. Thinking that’s where they were going to spend their date night, Jamie was so excited, but Taylor was so against the idea! All he wanted to do was go watch the sunset that night on the beach. Since it was early May, the weather was still a bit chilly for the beach, making Jamie less than thrilled to spend their evening by the water. Jamie kept asking Taylor, "Can't we go to Little Pub and then we can watch the sunset from the park or something?" Nope! Taylor was insistent that they spend their evening on the beach. Jamie gave in and they had a nice dinner at a little place down by Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk, Connecticut and later headed to the beach around 7:00pm. Taylor had been talking all day about how the sun was going to set at 7:58pm and they had to be ON TIME to see it. All night, he seemed a bit off to Jamie. He was rambling at times during their dinner conversations, occasionally wandering off mentally. They finished their meal and headed to the beach, finding a nice spot to watch the sunset.
A little back story: When Jamie and Taylor started dating, she wrote him a set of “Open When…” letters, which she still continues to do today! On the night he proposed, Taylor switched things up and handed Jamie a letter that said, “Open When… the sun sets.” The second the sun began to set, Jamie opened the letter and read it in tears. Taylor had written all about his love for her and how grateful he is for their relationship. At the bottom of the letter, he wrote the coordinates of where they first met (at work!) and the coordinates of the beach underneath the first set of coordinates as their "Next Step". Jamie turned around, and there was Taylor down on one knee in the sand with a ring box in his hand. She was in total shock, but of course exclaimed, “YES!”
Taylor and Jamie are getting married in February 2020 at one of our favorite wedding venues, The Inn at Longshore in Westport, Connecticut! We are SO excited to celebrate these two at their beautiful winter wonderland wedding!!
When did you know you'd found "the one"?
Jamie: “It's a little cliché, but I kind of knew right away. Well... I knew that I wanted to KNOW Taylor. I wanted to know who he was, where he came from, what he was doing, where he was going. Taylor gives off such an amazing vibe; he MAKES you want to be a part of his life because of how wonderful he is. Truth be told, I think I knew he was "the one" after I met his family. We had been dating for about 3 months, and I had dinner with his family right around mid-June. I was SO insanely nervous, hoping the rest of his family was as wonderful as Taylor and his dad (who I worked for!). Needless to say, they felt like family IMMEDIATELY. We laughed and shared stories and shared a beautiful meal well into the early morning hours. One thing I specifically remember about that night is Taylor constantly keeping his hand on my leg under the table, kind of like reassurance that no matter how it went that night, no matter how difficult a day, no matter what obstacles were approaching us in the future, he was going to be there. The safety and security I felt was absolutely everything to me. That's how I knew. I knew Taylor was the one because being with Taylor feels like home, no matter where we are.”
Taylor: “Jamie will be the first to tell you, I am Mr. Corny, but I knew the day I met her. Let me paint the picture for you: I walked into work late, iced coffee in hand (I swear the two were unrelated). As I turned the corner to sit at my work station I looked up and nearly dropped said iced coffee! Sitting in my seat was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid my eyes on. As we locked eyes and said hello to each other, I didn't even hear her when she told me her name. I was blown away by her beauty and I couldn't stop staring at her! Jamie immediately apologized for taking my seat and moved to another station across from me. I thought to myself, "Great! She probably thinks I'm the biggest jerk!" All day long I tried to get close to her and learn as much as I could about her. When she left for the day, I turned to one of the other nurses and asked all the usual questions, “Do you think she liked me? Do you know if she has a boyfriend?” I was so unsure of her feelings of me and didn't know what to do next just hoping I would work with her again. Before I could even decide what to do next, I received a notification on my phone... SHE FRIEND REQUESTED ME ON FACEBOOK!!! I was so freaking happy you have no idea!! So since she made the first move, I was next. I sent her a message telling her how great it was to work with her and how I couldn't wait to see her again. Over the next couple weeks, as I finished my hockey season coaching and Jamie waited patiently, we talked back and forth learning all we could about each other. I know I'm going in to great detail and I could talk all day about Jamie, long story short we went on our first date. We met each other's families. We got in trouble at work together, which I wouldn't change for the world. We became best friends and we kept falling deeper in love with each other. So, to answer the question, since Day 1! Since Day 1, Jamie has been my rock, my #1 supporter, and my everything. My best friend, my partner in crime, and the love of my life!”
What's one thing you love about your partner?
Jamie: “My absolute FAVORITE thing about Taylor is how incredibly selfless he is. He has the BIGGEST heart of anyone I've ever met. If someone needs help doing something, Taylor is the first to volunteer his time. If someone is having a rough day, he's the first to make them laugh and smile. And if someone just needs an ear to listen or a heart to understand, Taylor is the person to turn to.”
Taylor: “I have to be honest, I had to think about this one for a second. I truly love SO MUCH about Jamie. HOWEVER, my absolute favorite thing about Jamie (other than that beautiful smile) is her heart. Jamie is the most loving human being I have ever met in my entire life. Life gets crazy, we all know that, but not a SINGLE SECOND goes by that she doesn't show me how much she loves me and how much she cares about me! She is always putting her family, my family, her patients, and ME before herself and does it in a way unlike anyone else in this world! She is truly beautiful creature inside and out and I am one lucky son of a gun!
Besides getting married, what is one thing you're looking forward to on your wedding day?
Jamie: “Oh gosh, I am looking forward to SO many things about this day! I think the thing I'm looking forward to the most is our First Look. We thought so much about this when we were planning our details, and we've definitely heard the opinions of our family members, loud and clear from some! Ultimately, we decided on this because it's something that WE get to share with no one else around, no one fussing with our outfits or sticking tight to our side. We get to be there in such a raw, pure moment, just the two of us. It's something we may not have for the rest of the night with our guests! I just can't wait to see Taylor as my fiancé for the very last time before I marry him... and I cannot WAIT to see the look on his face either!”
Taylor: “So I thought about this one BUT I can't pick just one part, so I'll tell you the TWO parts I'm most excited for. The first would be the First Look pictures. I promise you now that I'm going to cry when I turn around and see Jamie standing there in her dress. I picture it every day! She is going to look as gorgeous as ever and in that moment it's all going to hit me... I get to spend the rest of my life with the most beautiful woman in the world inside and out! The second part is obvious, I cannot wait to say our vows and make Jamie my wife! I cannot wait to stare in to her eyes and hold her hands and start our forever together!”
What's one thing you're looking forward to about marriage?
Jamie: “Hands down, I cannot wait to raise children with Taylor. We have both worked in pediatrics for our careers so far, and I had the pleasure of working with him and seeing him interact with patients and their families. He is a NATURAL when it comes to kids, partially because he's such a big kid at heart himself! We both value our families so much, immediate and extended, and I'm so grateful to have found someone who loves that aspect of life just as much as me. I know our future children are going to have the most amazing, caring, loving, hardworking, selfless man as a father. If his work is any insight into the future, I'm just so excited to see him open his entire heart to his own, OUR own children!”
Taylor: “There are so many different aspects of marriage I'm looking forward to: waking up together, building a home together, cooking together, fighting together, and then making up! The one thing I am looking forward the most is starting a family with Jamie. I see it in everything Jamie does; the way she takes care of me, her family, her patients, my family. Jamie is going to be the most amazing mother in this world! I can't wait to go through all the ups and downs of raising children with her, from all the late nights feeding and changing diapers to all the family vacations and laying around on a Sunday in our pajamas laughing and goofing off.”
I hope you enjoyed this Waveny Park engagement session! Do you know Jamie and Taylor? Show them some love by commenting below!
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shaina Lee Photography is a husband and wife photography team serving Connecticut, New York, Hawaii and beyond. We specialize in timeless, elegant, and romantic weddings while celebrating all couples in love. Are you planning a proposal, engagement session or wedding? Take a peek at our wedding portfolio or contact us for availability.
