From the Photographers
Celebrating the engagement of Brianna & Pat was a lot of fun. We both went to their home & explored the nearby wooded area with their dogs Torque & Korri. There is so much beauty in their own backyard! Later on, we went over to Pat's parent's place for a small change of scenery. We were successful in creating some amazing moments, but we failed to get Pat's truck up a slight incline while we were riding in the bed of his classic Ford. It was one hell of an experience riding in the bed of that truck!😅 We hope you enjoy their story, as told by Brianna & Pat.
How they Met
Pat and I had mutual friends for over 12 years. We used to go to bonfires during the summer or just hang out at a friend's house. Although we didn't like each other romantically back then, I knew he was a great guy. Approximately 2.5 years ago, Pat and I were both single and happened to be on a dating site called Hinge. He messaged me on there and honestly, I thought it was a little weird considering we had been Facebook friends for 9 years and he never messaged me on Facebook, but we got to talking and decided to hang out or "go on a date." I'll admit that I was a little nervous because we hadn't seen each other in close to 8 years but it all worked out in the end. Pat picked me up at my house in his 1930 Model A and I smiled from ear to ear because my dad is into old vehicles too. We drove around for about an hour, all around the area from the back of Beltsville to the back roads of Kunkletown before making our way to Dietzy's Tavern. We stopped at this one area by the water authority and just watched the waterfall into the lake. We had dinner and then he took me to the boat launch at Beltsville. We watched the sunset in the Model A and the rest was history. Ever since that day, we have been inseparable.
The Proposal
On April 24th, 2021, it was the day before my birthday and I was on vacation from work so we had made some plans to go out, then to our friend's kids' birthday party. It was a beautiful day but a little chilly. He asked if we could drive the 1929 Cabriolet. I was hesitant because it doesn't have a roof and I was already cold but he begged me so I agreed. He said he wanted to take it on a road test because he had just got done fixing something on it. We made a left out of our dirt road and started making our way toward Pohopoco Drive. I asked him where we were going but he just kept saying that we were going for a drive and the driver had to be long enough to ensure the car was working properly. We then headed back the very same way that he took me on that first date and I was a little confused. I could tell he was nervous but I truly didn't think that he was going to ask me to marry him then. If anyone knows Pat, they know that he is the cheapest person ever and really doesn't spend a lot of money unless it is a car so I thought an engagement ring was out of the picture at this point. Anyway, he stopped at the same spot we stopped on our first date which I thought was a little odd. We got out of the car and walked to the same spot as the first date and watched the waterfall into the lake. It was quiet and peaceful and I pictured us here over 2 years earlier. The birthday party was about to begin so I said we should head back home so we aren't late to the party, he agreed. We went back over to the car and he opened the car door for me (as he usually does) and as I got in, he got down on one knee and asked "Will you marry me." Pat says my face was in shock and we both started to tear up a little, but one thing's for certain, our smiles were from ear to ear. I said "yes." We both were shaking so much, it was the weirdest thing because you know how much you love one another, but to be shaking was just unusual. I truly didn't expect to be engaged that day, I thought it was maybe too soon for him.
Best Part of Engagement & Some Advice
Honestly, there really isn't a difference between being engaged to us just dating. We still do all the same things together and hang out together as usual. I think the most exciting part is planning a wedding and counting down the days until we are actually married.
I am a very organized person, so I found a "Happy Planner" wedding edition that helped us narrow down wedding venues, caterers, DJs, etc. We are both pretty laid back so when we were looking for venues, we didn't have our hearts set on a specific date or anything like that. I guess you can say that we allowed the date to pick us? We both did our research on the venues as well prior to going there, which helped us narrow down our search.
