Jessica and Darrin first met in high school and have been inseparable ever since. Their North Carolina engagement session took place in one of Durham’s premier entertainment districts, and featured casual, academic pride, and evening wear attire. Jessica lovingly thinks about how she “can’t wait to be presented to the crowd as Mrs. Smith on the arm of my one and only.”
Read all about Jessica & Darrin’s love story, surprise Christmas Eve proposal, and wedding aspirations in their sweet and stylish entertainment district engagement session – beautifully framed by MunaLuchi Coterie member Artije Photography, and with event planning by Coterie member Nouveau Events.
Bride & Groom-to-be: Jessica & Darrin
Occupations: Attorney & Quality Specialist in Pharmaceuticals
Location of Engagement shoot: American Tobacco Campus – Durham, NC
Tell us how you met and all about the proposal.
Groom – We met in high school as we shared classes together. We became especially close after college. After dating for about 4 years, we had a very good idea that we wanted to spend our lives together. On Christmas Eve 2015, while Jessica was searching for a present behind the Christmas tree, she turned around to find me on one knee asking her to marry me! Unknown to her, my parents had snuck in the background to capture video and photos of this special moment! She was totally surprised and didn’t see it coming, as I remember she had already changed into pajamas that night!
Bride – I had spent all Christmas Eve studying for the State Bar exam and I was ready to relax. We had just finished dinner and had retired to the family room to watch the end of a basketball game. So, yes, I changed changed into PJs! I should have known something was up though. Now that I think about it, Darrin had found a way to ask me what I thought about getting married everyday for the previous two months.
Describe your engagement session. We had our engagement shoot at the American Tobacco District in downtown Durham, NC. This is one of Durham’s premier entertainment districts. One of our most memorable themes was “Rivals become lovers” as we donned college themed shirts from our respective universities, North Carolina State University and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Our photographers (Artije Photography) also helped us coordinate all white and evening wear shots which captured our liveliness and love!
What did you do on your first date? Our first date was to a restaurant back in our hometown. We opted for a low key lunch at Ruby Tuesday’s. As we began to catch up over sweet tea, our waitress grew tired of us not being ready when she would stop by our table. What she didn’t know is from the moment we sat down, we did not even look at the menu. The energy between us was captivating and after eating we headed to a local nature park and continued to speak about our faith and goals. From there it’s been history!
What’s your favorite thing to do as a couple? Just be around one another – whether it’s exploring our new city, relaxing with a book, or finding a new restaurant to try out – if we’re together, we’re good!
How has wedding planning been so far? At first, it was a bit overwhelming but having good vendors, a good coordinator, and a lot of lists helps. I’m a perfectionist so every little detail matters so I’m also thankful for my mother’s prayers too.
Tell us what you’re looking forward to most on the wedding day. We’re the perfect match so I want our guests to feel that on our wedding day. We’ve thought a lot about how we wanted our wedding to be a celebration. Of course, I can’t wait to be presented to the crowd as Mrs. Smith on the arm of my one and only.
Vendors:
Photography – Artije Photography
Wedding Planner – Nouveau Events
Makeup – Just Face It Makeup Artistry by Shatara
Leave a Reply