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Harrison knows just what kind of marriage he wants to have with Jessica: a marriage that truly stands the test of time and lasts for the rest of their life. To show that, he asked the love of his life to be his wife during the celebration of the marriage anniversary of a couple whose love has stood the test of time. Of course, she said, “Yes!” This couple’s engagement session was photographed brilliantly by Avaloni Studios.

Bride: Jessica Swanston
Groom: Harrison Baker
Occupations: Bride – Doctoral student; Groom – Middle school Math teacher
Date of Engagement Session: 04.29.2012
Location: New York City

A Constant Connection ….. “Harrison and I met our freshman year of college in 2005. Despite being in completely different social circles, and in different relationships, we’ve always felt some type of “connection.” We didn’t begin dating (officially, at least) until the summer after we graduated in 2009. Fate, I assume, allowed us to be 40 minutes from one another when he started a job as a financial analyst and I began graduate school in Philadelphia. While Harrison denies the fact that we have an actual “anniversary,” 4th of July weekend has, historically, been meaningful for us: Our first 4th of July was also our first real romantic weekend together. I met his entire extended family (he has a huge family) during our second 4th of July weekend, and during our third, he proposed!”

The Proposal ….. “It happened in Niagara Falls, Ontario on the 3rd of July. We were in Toronto to celebrate my uncle and aunt’s 40th wedding anniversary (how fitting), and decided to stop in Niagara on our way back south. After dinner, we took a bottle of wine and a blanket down to a grassy area overlooking the waterfall to watch the fireworks. Before we found a spot, Harrison requested that we have our picture taken in front of the Falls. We found a friendly-looking couple, and asked them to take a picture of us. It all happened so quickly that I never really got around to asking why they were taking so MANY pictures. Before I realized what was happening, Harrison was on one knee with a box in his hand saying something about loving me, and wanting to spend his life with me. To top it all off, the fireworks started shortly after I screamed, “YES!””

Engagement Shoot Details ….. “Our engagement shoot didn’t have a theme and that’s the way we wanted it. Our relationship and our individual personalities have always been characterized by spontaneity and eclecticism.  I think our engagement shoot was really just about trying to capture how in love, awkward, funny, and generally joyful we are together. Like most brides-to-be, I got really caught up in the idea of having a magazine perfect wedding and choosing a theme or one specific idea to guide my planning. I quickly realized that as much as I love the idea of a vintage, whimsy, peacock, rustic wedding or engagement pictures, none of these themes fully reflects us as a couple. So, we abandoned the “theme” notion completely and just focused on looking good and feeling even better!”

{You Make Loving You So Easy}

He loves ….. “The thing I love most about Jessica is her nurturing spirit and compassion for her family and loved ones. I’m truly honored to be in her presence every single day.”

She loves ….. “I love Harrison’s drive. He approaches everything with a “can-do” attitude which is incredibly inspirational to me and everyone who meets him.”

photography by Avaloni Studios