Ashley + Patrick | Claytor Lake Engagement Photography

Ashley + Patrick | Claytor Lake Engagement Photography

I am SUPER excited to share this session with you all!

I met Ashley for the first time via FaceTime! She lives down in Florida and was searching for a photographer for her upcoming wedding at Claytor Lake. I have to say, I knew I liked her right away! What a cool person she was! I was so excited when she asked me to be her wedding photographer! Now, fast forward to a little over a week ago when I got to meet her and her fiancé, Patrick, at their family vacation home on Claytor Lake! All that I thought came true! Not only was Ashley awesome, but so is Patrick! I am SO EXCITED for their upcoming wedding on September 2nd at Claytor Lake State Park! I KNOW it is going to be a blast!

Ashley and Patrick (a.k.a. “Ash” and “Pat”) have been dating for just over 10 years. They have formed a bond in mutual respect, love, and, of course, laughter. These two so obviously enjoy one another that you cannot help but love spending time with them both!

I asked Ash how she and Pat met and she told me this story: “We first met on the beach in the summer of 2006 in St. Petersburg, FL where our families spent summers, his family had a permanent place on the beach while mine rented. That summer we spent just as friends and when school started back up I focused on finishing high school and getting ready for college. Fast forward to summer 2007 and we meet again and fell in love spending the whole summer at the beach where it all started, and the rest is history because we haven’t been apart since July 11th, 2007!” Now isn’t that the sweetest story?

It was so apparent how much Ash and Pat enjoy each other that her answer to my question about what they enjoy doing together was just as I would have answered for her! She told me that their favorite thing together is to “Laugh.” She went on to say, “we can have fun doing anything because we make each other laugh and just always have the best time together. This is the thing I love most about him. I know life will never be boring!” I would say that is something all couples should strive for!

Ash told me how Pat proposed to her. She said, “we came to Claytor lake with our best friends in the world to enjoy a week vacation in the mountains in July of 2016. July 18th was a Monday and the day after we had arrived, we were out on the lake with our friends enjoying the beautiful weather when Patrick decided to go diving off the dock of the Bruns house to see what he could find below. This was not something that was unusual to me since we do this often. I was swimming out in the lake relaxing off the dock when Patrick popped up out of the water screaming “you will never believe what I found” then as I swam over he pulled the ring out there in the water with all of our friends watching he asked me to marry him. Thank goodness I had a float because I was in shock!”

How perfect then that they have decided to get married at Claytor Lake as well! It will be their special spot forever!

So enough from me! I need to show you all more photos! Consider this a teaser because in September after they are married I will have LOTS more awesome photos to share! I cannot wait!