From the Friends with Cameras
WOW! How amazing is it that we were able to capture Candice & Cory's engagement!? Just a few days prior, we were celebrating her sister's wedding (their blog coming soon). Preston & Candice have known each other since he met her brother gaming in the basement together, who knew all those years ago that he will be the one documenting this incredible life milestone! We had so much fun celebrating. Enjoy their story!
How they met
We met on Tinder and clearly both swiped right. Candice had not realized that Cory reached out to her so a few days later she sent him a message while they were both watching the same Eagles game. They decided to meet up later that week after realizing they had similar interests and silly personalities. We officially met on September 11th, 2019 at Roosevelts (now 21 Crafthouse) in Bethlehem. They were remodeling the restaurant so we decided to grab wings and fries at Fratellis. Cory came back to Candice's apartment and they spent from 8pm-6am the next morning talking, watching funny YouTube videos, playing songs they both loved from high school, and getting to know each other. Candice pretty much fell in love that first night when Cory got close to her, looked her in the eyes, and asked "Can I kiss you?" Her heart melted and she knew he was the one.
The Proposal
Candice is a planner (through and through) and has been her whole life. Earlier in the year, she decided to book a trip to Ocean City Maryland that they could enjoy while spending quality time with her son Hunter. Cory had bought the ring months before after looking at some together but Candice had no idea when/if he would ask. We were excited to take our trip to the beach and he was not sure when the right time would be but decided to bring the ring with him. We had an amazing first day in the ocean and on the boardwalk. The second day we made reservations for Candice's favorite seafood restaurant (Cory does not eat seafood) but the food was delicious! We asked for a seat outside and it started to drizzle, although Hunter had a blast laughing as the seagulls swooped down to try to eat his food. Looking back, Cory seemed really nervous (and a little pale in the face) but Candice just assumed he wanted to go back to the hotel to relax. After having dinner they enjoyed dessert at a little ice cream parlor and Candice was kind of disappointed because she wanted to stay outside and walk along the beach. Cory told her to come back up to the hotel room and gave her a long hug in the middle of the room. Candice thought the hug would never end but now realizes that Cory was working up the courage to ask her to marry him. Of course, she said yes, with tears in her eyes, and we started to call our family and best friends to tell them the good news. We got engaged on July 8th, 2021 and have been in full planning mode since!
Best part of the Engagement
Cory loves that this is the first step in being able to share a family together. Candice loves that since the moment they got engaged, they will find random times throughout the day to calling each other fiance (like it is some secret) when nobody is around. It is such a short time in our lives where we get to plan for such a special occasion together that we are making the most of the fun parts. Together they have had so much fun planning details such as choosing the perfect venue they loved and also selecting a food menu (arguably the most important aspect) that represents their personalities. The cake tasting is coming up soon and it will certainly be the icing on the journey they have had so far.
Advice from the Couple
Cory says for guys .... "stay out of the way!" In all reality, we truly think that making sure to choose each aspect to represent who you are as a couple is most important. The planning process can be so fun and each part should be celebrated. Candice suggests finding a venue that checks all of your boxes and do not settle until you find the right one (there are a lot). For us, one of the biggest blessings has been having an incredible wedding coordinator who is there to answer any question (night or day) regarding the venue, menu options, etc. We would also suggest using referrals from family and friends who have recently been through the process. We have hired our photographer, DJ, hair/makeup artists all from word-of-mouth referrals by people we trust. The most important part of the planning is to have fun and remember that you are getting to marry the love of your life so enjoy the time together to make your day as special as the two of you are!
