Mark & Jessica
Mark & Jessica met us in the parking lot between a revolutionary war Canon & some log cabins on the nicest day we will have all November in the Philadelphia area. Seriously, it was 70 degrees and sunny. We couldn’t have asked for a better day! We jumped right into portraits and after hearing that they were a bit nervous, (naturally, everyone is) we watched them rock pose after pose. We’re not sure what they were nervous about since they were complete naturals! They were so much fun to get to know and talk with the entire time and we cannot wait for their wedding at The Barn on Bridge in Collegeville, PA next October!
The Story
Jess and Mark grew up on the same street in Mercerville, NJ and met one summer night in 2007. Jess would frequently ride by and wave all summer but Mark never could get her to stop. One night, Jess walked by Mark’s house with a group of friends while Mark was outside skateboarding with a few of my friends. Jess called out to him and asked if he could teach her to ride a skateboard but left before he got the chance. Mark and his friends got on their skateboards and caught up with the group. Jess and Mark exchanged numbers their journey together began!
Long before Mark met Jess, he was a little 5 year old boy who liked candy… surprise! He spent summers with his grandfather at a swim club and quickly made friends with the man who he knew at that time as Sunny, who filled the vending machines at the pool club. Sunny would talk to Mark about baseball, how the Phillies and Yankees were doing or not doing and then would give Mark candy! The years went on and he lost touch with Sunny. One day after 6 months of dating Jess a man showed up at her house who looked really familiar. He introduced himself as Jess’s grandfather, Sunny. The connection started again. Sunny and Mark spent the next 6 years every time they met joking about the Yankees and the Phillies and then in 2013 everything changed. Mark graduated college in May of 2013, Jess and Mark had plans to get engaged after both of them had completed school (Jess still had a bit longer to go) but in September of 2013 they got news that Sunny had terminal cancer and would not make it to see their engagement. Mark had an elaborate plan to propose to Jess on October 24th, but life had other plans. Jess received a call that her grandfather would be home from the hospital in an hour and they needed to be there to help him get inside. Mark took the long way through Princeton to stop in front of their favorite buildings on campus. He made the decision to surprise Jess and proposed there, in front of those buildings. They made their way back to the car and home in time to not only help Sunny, but deliver the news to him that they were engaged! Mark is now glad to be able to fulfill one of the last promises he made to Sunny. That he would always take care of Jess.
Mark & Jess, your story is so touching and it’s obvious how much you guys love each other! We loved spending every second with you guys at your engagement session and cannot wait for your wedding! Until then, we hope you enjoy some of our favorites from your engagement session!
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November 21, 2016
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