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Classic Georgetown Engagement Photos, Washington DC | Hayley + Rick

Hayley, Rick and I walked a bit around the city for their classic DC/Georgetown engagement photos! We started near the canal walk, made our way to the waterfront, then over towards the charming residential areas, and ended at the Kennedy Center on the rooftop terrace at sunset. It was a brisk fall day but these two were such great company and I so enjoyed my time with them. Hayley is the girlfriend of a past bride of mine (Kristel!) and they had also attended Kristel and Josh’s wedding this past September, so hanging out with Hayley and Rick was really wonderful.

Hayley and Rick knew they wanted to have their engagement photos taken somewhere in the DC area since it’s home to them and they love their city. Georgetown is such a cool spot with both a view of the water and the DC skyline, quaint charming little streets, fabulous restaurants, and really cool shopping spots. It really has so much to offer! Hayley and Rick are going to be married at the unbelievably beautiful Pippin Hill next fall and it feels incredibly far away but I still can’t be more excited for their wedding. As always, I hope you enjoy a few favorites of mine and learn more about these two below!

How did you meet?

Hayley: The short story is that we met on Tinder in 2016. The long story is that we originally matched with each out in 2014 when I came to law school in Williamsburg, Virginia. I had never used Tinder and was pretty hesitant, and did not interact with anyone before deleting it. I re-downloaded Tinder in the Fall of 2016, and was going back through my old matches and saw this guy Rick had messaged me back in 2014, but I completely blew him off. I looked at his profile, and I thought wow, this guy is super cute, I really blew it back in 2014, there is no chance that he would message me again. Turns out I came back through on Rick’s app when I re-downloaded Tinder, he had the option to swipe for me again, and luckily he did! He messaged me again, and mentioned that his brother had just graduated from William & Mary Law School, where I was in law school at the time. Knowing we had a common connection (and therefore that he was probably not a murderer), we continued to chat for a few weeks before going on our first date.

What was your first thought when you saw or interacted with him/her for the first time?

Hayley: The first time I saw Rick, my first thought was that he was way more handsome in person than in his Tinder profile (and to be fair, I already thought he was very good looking!).

Rick: She was obviously attractive, confirming the pictures, but the first thing that stood out was her confidence and outgoing personality during the first few dates and how relatively easy our conversations went early on.

How did you start dating?

Hayley: Rick asked to get coffee, but I think our original plans were cancelled due to a snow storm. We ended up getting drinks at a restaurant in Williamsburg that played dogs videos on their TVs while we were sitting at the bar (which made for interesting conversation). We had a lot of fun and just talked, and then ended up going to another bar when the restaurant was closing.

Rick: I tricked her into going on at least one date a week when we first got to know each other. It didn’t take long for us to realize the connection we had.

What did you tell your friends or family about each other after your first date?

Hayley: I was probably pretty guarded, soI think I just told my friends that the date went well and that I was interested in seeing where things could go.

Rick: I told my brother she was the most beautiful girl in the world. I let friends and family know how excited I was for our first date, but downplayed it a little right after because I knew there was something there and didn’t want to jinx it.

When did you know that your partner was the one?

Hayley: It is hard to pinpoint an exact moment when I knew that Rick was the one, and ultimately I think it was a lot of little moments. A big moment was when Rick met my family for the first time, which was at my law school graduation. I had a lot of apprehension about Rick meeting them, and I had never really introduced a boyfriend to my family before. As with a lot families, my family has a lot of unique quirks that sometimes people don’t understand, so bringing Rick into that was kind of scary. Rick did a great job and my family loved him. More importantly for me, it showed me that Rick was not going to judge me for my family, and could accept and hang with them despite some occasional craziness.

Rick: I don’t have a specific moment but there were some great moments early on like Hayley meeting my family, a best friends wedding, her law school graduation and meeting her family. But after moving in together I knew I would spend the rest of my life with her.

How did the proposal happen?

Hayley: Rick proposed while we were on vacation in Rome. We had this vacation planned for a long time, and I had a feeling that he would want to do it while we were in Italy. On our second night in Rome, we planned to go to this park near our hotel that has a great view of the city and then to dinner. Rick put on a blazer and his Gucci loafers, which I thought was interesting for going to a park, and I was dressed far more casually. We went up to the top of the park where there is a beautiful view of Rome, there was lots of people around, and even a guy playing guitar. We looked at the view, and I could start to tell that Rick was nervous. We got a selfie of the two of us, and I suggested that we continue to walk around the park. He stopped me, and then got down on one knee and proposed. Rick said a bunch of things, but I pretty much blacked out and just started giggling. Rick hired a photographer to be there to capture the moment, so after he popped the question we walked around the park and took a bunch of pictures.

Rick: We were in Rome on vacation. It happened the second night at Villa Borghese, a park with an amazing view of the city. It was before dinner so we were a little overdressed for a park, we walked to a spot with a great view and I got down on one knee. She definitely knew it was coming right before and probably assumed it before we left for Italy. It was a great vacation and I’m glad I got someone to capture the moment.

What quality/qualities do you love most about your partner?

Hayley: I love that Rick is my person — he is warm, kind, understanding, and funny. I love that I can tell Rick anything and he will listen without judgment and will always try to see where I am coming from and accept me for me. Rick has a presence about him that makes me and everyone he meets feel comfortable and at ease. He would go to the ends of the earth for the people he loves, he gets a long with just about everyone he meets, and he always beats me at Cards Against Humanity.

Rick: I love that Hayley is my person day-in and day-out. She’s so sweet and I know she would do anything for her loved ones. She has so many amazing qualities that impress me more and more each day. I love the combination of her strong, competitive but also loving, caring personality.

What are some of your partner’s quirks that you love or appreciate?

Hayley: I love that Rick can quote How I Met Your Mother and Friends off the top of his head. I never thought I would meet someone who was a bigger fan of those shows than me, but Rick certainly contends.

Rick is also very passionate about the teams that he supports, particularly UVA Basketball, so basketball season can be very stressful!

Rick: I love when she tries to hold in a smile when I make her laugh when she is angry. Her grumpy Monday mornings. Her sometimes suspect choice of shows to watch. How she struggles to load the dishwasher. How she can quote Friends and How I Met Your Mother as well as I can.

What moment of your wedding day are you most anticipating?

Hayley: I am most anticipating getting to celebrate our love with all our friends and family at one of our favorite places in the world, Pippin Hill!

Rick: The whole day! I can’t wait to see Hayley in her dress and saying I Do. It will be so exciting to celebrate with our friends and family in one of our favorite spots!

Hayley and Rick are getting married next Fall at Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards in North Farm, VA! Congratulations, Hayley and Rick! I can’t wait to celebrate with you both.

CLASSIC GEORGETOWN ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS IN WASHINGTON DC

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