Jacinta and Leslie's Family Engagement Session in Washington DC -Munaluchi Bride

Featured in the Summer 2017 Issue of MunaLuchi Bride Magazine!

Jacinta and Leslie’s love story begins as if it were drawn from the pages of a great romance novel…on a perfect September evening, while going for a walk, she walking on this side of the street and he on the other… As if guided by an outside force they both simultaneously notice the other out of their peripheral vision. A glance quickly becomes a full on stare into each other’s eyes – the magnetism irresistible…and so begins the rest of their lives together.

Read all about Jacinta & Leslie’s love story, sweet surprise proposal, and parenting life in their stylish and sophisticated family engagement session. Featuring videography by DMV MunaLuchi Coterie Ambassador Chip Dizard of Chip Dizard Weddings. See the complete selected gallery by Iris Mannings Photography here.

https://vimeo.com/180713468

Bride & Groom-to-be: Jacinta & Leslie
“Ruler of the Household”: Harper
Occupations: Jacinta – IT Consulting Manager, Freelance Makeup Artist. Leslie – Attorney, Freelance Writer.
Engagement Shoot Location: Washington, DC

How and when did you meet?
It was a perfect September night in 2012. Well, early morning, but you get the picture. I was walking one way, Leslie the other. I noticed him out of the corner of my eye but I thought he paid no mind. However, when I looked up, our eyes connected as he stopped in his tracks and literally stared at me from across the street. Me looking beautiful as always and him standing there, tall and handsome, I yelled from across the street, “Are you going to just stand there or are you going to open your mouth and speak?!?” And so began our love story.

Tell us all about the proposal!
Our proposal, in all honesty, was a roller coaster. I am a self-proclaimed investigative expert, from many years of watching Law and Order: SVU. When we scheduled a date night, I thought I had it all figured out. Before date night, that evening, I overheard him speaking with his mother on speakerphone as she asked, “Is tonight the night?” So, after hearing this, I KNEW my ring was coming. Our daughter Harper was at my parents’ house for the night so it was just me and him. Me, him, dinner, drinks and no ring. Needless to say, we fell asleep VERY disappointed. I was disappointed that I did not get my ring and he was disappointed that date night ended without a happy ending, for him, at least. So, the next day, we ate a huge lunch at our favorite burger spot, Shack Shake, on our way to pick up Harper from my parents’ house.
When we got there, Harper was not dressed. So my mother went upstairs to change Harper. Little did I know, my mother and Leslie had this elaborate plan to dress Harper in a shirt that stated, “Mom, Dad is too chicken to ask, but will you marry him?” My mother came downstairs, Harper covered from head to toe, wearing a jacket inside my parents’ house. I got up to get my baby, when I noticed this hot jacket on her. I took the jacket off and began to read this shirt that was foreign to me. After I began to read it, I was in complete shock. I was in so much shock that I didn’t even notice Leslie was behind me, down on bended knee with a beautiful ring in his hand! He waited for me to turn around and when I did, I was overcome with so much emotion and happiness that I almost dropped my daughter! The love of my life asked me to marry him and of course, I said “yes.” With the exception of our beautiful daughter being born, this day was the happiest day of my life!

What was your first date? After seeing each out and about on the club scene and communicating via text, we finally met up for dinner and a movie to see Hangover 3 and grabbed a burger at Bar Louie in Chinatown, DC.

What was the inspiration for your family/engagement session?
We really wanted to incorporate an elegant background and also where we initially met. Our first location was the Library of Congress and the other was on the street corner where we met. Being a longstanding member of the BeyHive, my main goal for our family/engagement session was to SLAY. I kept mentioning this to Leslie as we planned for our session, and I have to say, I think he nailed it. Leslie has been asked what look he was going for, and he said, my fiancé and the photographer just kept telling me to slay, whatever that means. We also wanted to use this session as a time to capture our love and share our love story on video. Chip of Chip Dizard Weddings joined us to capture footage and interview us about how we met, the proposal, and why we love each other so much. We really wanted to set the stage for our wedding. The video and engagement photos will be uploaded on our wedding website. We are looking forward to a glamorous affair.

How many children do you have? One. Harper, who is 1 year old.

Tell us something special about your little one. What’s she like?
Her nickname HarpStar, speaks for itself. She is truly a shining star and can light up a room. At the age of one, she has an infectious laugh, a monstrous appetite and a loving personality, as long as she’s not hungry, or sleepy, or cranky, or acting like a diva, like her momma.

How has your experience as a mother been? Did anything change? Any new perspectives? Becoming a mother has been a life changing experience. The saying that your motherly instincts kick in after giving birth, is really true. Being an expecting mom was a daunting experience. Especially for someone who had lived her life for self for so long. I now have a new purpose in life, and that’s to be the best mom I can be. I have gained a newfound respect for my mother and all mothers who sacrifice, time, energy, and other countless things, day in and day out, to raise a child with no manual on how to get it done.

Favorite thing to do as a family? Our favorite thing to do as a family is anything that includes quality time and a lot laughs. This can be anything from watching Harper’s favorite tv show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, to reading, spending an afternoon at the park, or hanging out at Nana and Papa’s house.

Tell us how you found your photographer and anything you’d like to tell us about the process. Being a freelance makeup artist and close friends with Britney of Britney Jeanine & Co., I’ve met many different wedding photographers in the DMV area. When it came time to pick a photographer for our engagement/family session, I asked Britney to recommend a photographer that would be able to capture the glam look we were going for and capture our love for each other and our daughter. When she mentioned Iris Mannings, I was excited because I’d done Iris’ makeup a few times in the past and it was always a good time when we got together. When we got together for our session, this time was no different!

What is your wedding date? 07/22/2017 in Atlanta, Georgia

How has wedding planning been and what are you looking forward to? Wedding planning has been great so far. Surprisingly, Leslie is just as involved with wedding planning as he is with planning his bachelor party. Eliana and her team have been great with laying out to do tasks and keeping us on track. It’s great to have someone local with us planning the wedding all the way from DC.
We are most looking forward to watching our daughter clumsily walk down the aisle as she attempts to throw flowers, saying “I do”, and celebrating our perfect union with friends and family.