I first met Tori this past Christmas while she was home to visit family and plan her wedding at Airlie Center in Warrenton, VA. It was incredibly easy to connect with her at our initial meeting; she has such a welcoming smile, fantastic style, and a sweet demeanor. And all of this only made me more excited to meet her other half, Robbie, at our engagement session at Pearmund Cellars. See, Robbie and Tori currently reside in Ohio, but have their families spread from coast to coast — literally! Tori’s are, of course, here outside of Washington, DC, and Robbie’s are all the way across the country in California. So although Robbie and I didn’t get to meet back in January, I heard all about him and how this sweet couple met.

They both attended George Mason University and were on the school’s respective men’s and women’s volleyball teams. Work took them to Ohio after graduating where they have been living ever since. While they love it for the time being, it’s certainly hard being so far away from family and they may look for other opportunities a few years down the road. For now, however, it holds a special place in their hearts as it’s where Robbie proposed to Tori! He took her to the Cleveland Botanical Gardens where he sought out a display with her favorite flower. The area was completely swarmed by people viewing and photographing all the pretty blooms, so he nervously lingered until they cleared knowing they’d want this special moment to be a bit more intimate. The rest of this story is history as these two will be married in May of 2018 in the gardens at Airlie! I am so honored and excited to be part of their day and am already looking forward to next spring! Tori and Robbie, thank you for being so flexible as we outran those pesky, unpredictable summer storms — I think you’ll agree it was totally worth it!