Romantic LBI Engagement Session | Long Beach Island Engagement Session | Amy and Drew

Romantic LBI Engagement Session. This engagement session at one of my favorite Long Beach Island locations was romantic and fun.  Amy and Drew met me at the Barnegat Lighthouse for their session. They spent many hours on this island and climbed the lighthouse very early in their relationship, so they felt a connection to this location.  I love when I can meet and photograph my couples at a place that means something to them.  When they first climbed the lighthouse, they felt that they were just good friends. Now they say they are still good friends and “more.” Well, the “more” came out during this session. They have a deep connection, and you can see their love when snuggling.

Lighthouse and dunes

When I go to Long beach island for engagement sessions, most of them occur at the lighthouse.  I love lighthouses and always enjoy having them in the backdrop of the photos. We quickly went through my core poses as they rocked each pose. I like to capture movement in images, so they had fun walking and dancing in the sand. After we took photos on the beach area, we took a walk down one of the paths in the park.  I enjoy going to this path because of the wooden steps and the pretty view at the top. They brought two props they wanted to use in a couple of photos. One was a wooden sign, and the other was a yellow rubber duckie named Slider. Slider goes with them when they travel or go to new places, and they include him in some of their photos.  So, we had to place Slider in some of their engagement pictures. Can you find him?

Romantic LBI Engagement Session

Amy and Drew had an outfit change, and I had a secret spot that I wanted to share with them. So after they changed, we drove to a part of the island with the prettiest dunes. They loved the location! We took photos on the wooden boardwalk and on the paths through the seagrass. They were up for anything, so I asked if they wanted to run down a dune! They said sure. So fun! They pose so well together, but when they snuggle, you can feel the love they have for each other! It is such a romantic connection.

Their love story

Amy and Drew met in 2009 when they were both working at Six Flags Fright Fest. They were vampires in a haunted walk. After being introduced to each other, they hit it off right away despite some coworkers’ efforts to discourage Amy from talking to Drew. They were just friends getting together as often as they could for many years even though they lived 2 1/2 hours apart. Their favorite hang-out spot was Long Beach Island. They spent summers on the island going to local restaurants, fishing at the end of one of the streets by the bay, and watching Amy’s dad perform in his band at Surf City Hotel. After many years of saying, “No, we’re just friends,” 2018 is when everything finally fell into place for them, and they became a couple officially!

Fell in love at the beach

They moved in together, adopted a dog, and got engaged! They have been through a lot together and can’t imagine going through life without each other. In 2013 is when Amy and Drew visited the Barnegat Lighthouse. When they climbed to the top, a woman asked to take their picture. She took a few pictures and asked if they were a couple, and Drew responded, “No, we’re sort of like best friends.” After all these years, they are still “sort of like best friends” and more!

The Proposal

 2020 was a challenging year for Amy and Drew. They did their best to enjoy themselves with all that was going on in the world. In September 2020, they could safely travel to North Carolina, where they visited a place called Gem Mountain.  You can mine your gemstones, get them graded, and have jewelry made with what you found. Knowing this, Amy commented before the trip, saying it would be cool to have an engagement ring made with the gemstones we found at this place. Drew does just that and designs a beautiful engagement ring with a sapphire and quartz they discovered that day. Once the ring came in, Drew knew he wanted to propose on Christmas eve with Amy’s family. Unfortunately, with COVID concerns, Amy decided not to see her family that Christmas. Little did Amy know that Drew and Amy’s father had already put together a plan for the proposal.

She said yes!

That Christmas eve, Amy’s family adjusted to have their gathering happen over Zoom. Drew and Amy’s father were still able to execute their plan for the proposal. Amy’s father made a little speech to everyone, and at the end of the speech, Drew was going to propose. Drew says he planned this big speech in his head that he would say when he was on one knee, but all he could squeak out was “Marry me?”. Amy said yes and began weeping!  Drew ran away before putting the ring on her finger because he was so nervous he thought he would throw up! Haha.  Everybody was so excited, and Amy was so glad her family got to be a part of the proposal, even if it was over Zoom.

Cooking Together and Halloween

They love going out to restaurants, trying unfamiliar places, and experiencing new things together. They both love to cook and often try new recipes together. Occasionally, they do what they call Mystery Dinners.  One of them picks a new recipe but doesn’t tell the other what it is until it is ready to eat. They also adore celebrating Halloween together since they met at Fright Fest. Designing spooky front lawns every October is a fun tradition for them.

Amy loves that Drew can always put a smile on her face. Drew loves that Amy can make tears come to his eyes laughing so hard. And after all these years, Drew still gets excited to go home and see Amy’s face. Awwww…

October wedding by the water

These two are getting married on Long Beach Island in October 2022. Drew wanted to say his vows near the water, so they found a beautiful place in Beach Haven to have the late afternoon ceremony. They both want to have a day of fun for themselves and their guests.  They are planning a first look, and it will be the most anticipated moment of the day for them. Their venue has a rooftop with beautiful views of the bay, so I am sure we will get to take romantic sunset photos there!

I cannot wait to capture their day and help celebrate their love. After this romantic LBI engagement session, I am sure there will be an even more romantic LBI wedding day!