Spring Lake, New Jersey
|
A beautiful night at the shore with Courtney and Matt! We seriously got the most beautiful, serene evening for a session, and it was even a little chilly — which is a welcomed surprise in August!
These two first met in July 2014 on Lake Hopatcong when they were 19 and 20! As Courtney tells it, “My best friend was Matt’s new stepsister and Matt was flying home from Arizona where he went to undergrad to spend a few weeks by his mom’s house on the lake (which was also my friend’s dad’s house). My best friend and I drove to pick Matt up from the airport the day he came in and we immediately clicked. We shared our first kiss together one night in the lake (Matt definitely initiated, although he says otherwise!) and we spent practically every day together until Matt had to leave to go back to Arizona; he even cancelled his flight a few times to stay longer.”
“We both knew that this was more than just a summer fling, so we were willing to give long distance a try. After two years of long distance and many trips to NJ and AZ to see each other, Matt moved back home to NJ after graduation. Finally in April 2022, we moved in together.”
These two got engaged last August! “I had a slight inkling the whole week (wishful thinking!), but I was still so surprised nonetheless. We were down the shore over the weekend staying in Avon by the Sea. We woke up on Sunday morning and I immediately knew something was up. He asked to go for an early walk on the beach at 7:30 am (which is unusual, as I’m the one always wanting to go for a walk and especially a walk that early), but it was perfect. I always dreamed of getting engaged at the beach as it’s my happy place, so I couldn’t have asked for anything better. Matt also coordinated our families to surprise me and meet for brunch in Asbury Park so that we could all celebrate the good news.”
Courtney’s ring is absolutely stunning! “It is a solitaire oval ring on a diamond band! Matt wanted it to be a surprise, so he picked it out himself. I sent him a few inspo pictures of what I liked, but for the most part it was a surprise. He did super, super well!”
Together these two live in Hoboken and love to travel, explore new restaurants in the area, and go to the beach and concerts. I can’t wait to celebrate Courtney and Matt next September at Lake Hopatcong Yacht Club — the place where their love story first began!
