From friends with Cameras
Lauren & Jake's relationship is the epitome of a romance novel. As soon as they're in your presence, you can feel their love and respect for one another. Being that Lauren is an English teacher and a lover of books, their vision was to create some epic photos at the Palmerton Library. We then headed to the canal to get the raw fun and candid side of their relationship. We had such a great time and cannot wait for their wedding day!
How they Met
Jake and I met through school. We both went to S.S. Palmer Elementary School and were in the same first-grade class. We became friends and talked all throughout elementary school until the farewell dance in 6th grade. Jake asked me to the dance and I said yes. The rest is history. We've been together for 11 and 1/2 years.
The Proposal
Every June, Jake and I travel to New York City to attend BookCon. In 2019, Jake and I went to BookCon as always (after almost missing our bus), but afterward, we went to a fancier dinner at Del Frisco's Steakhouse. Before dinner, Jake surprised me in our hotel room with a box full of 50 origami cranes. An origami crane was the first present I ever gave him in 6th grade and we had been passing it back and forth to each other at various holidays. He wrote on the inside of each crane something he loved about me. After the cranes in the hotel and dinner, we walked to Central Park where he got down on one knee. He was very nervous all day, especially when we woke up late and almost missed our bus to New York. I could tell something was going on because we always eat fast food to offset the price of BookCon tickets and merch. When Jake suggested we eat at Del Frisco's, I was suspicious but didn't really think much of it until the actual time came.
Best part of being Engaged
We both like the "legitimacy" of the term fiance. We both felt that the terms boyfriend and girlfriend didn't properly reflect the level of commitment and closeness we experienced with each other, especially after so many years of dating. Other than this title change, we haven't experienced anything different between dating and being engaged. We've been head over heels for each other long before we got engaged and still experience that level of "omg this person is mine" years after getting engaged.
Some Advice
Start planning early! Jake and I had a lot of stress removed because we've been planning for two years. We got our dream venue, were able to take our time choosing only the best vendors, and were able to figure out any hiccups along the way because of how much time we had to plan. There will definitely be things that pop up out of nowhere that you never thought about, so build in some time to overcome these obstacles.
