Before the crazy hot summer begin in SoCal, there was a time when the weather wasn’t so sure what it wanted to be–it was the epitome of Katy Perry’s “Hot n Cold”. It would be chilly and cloudy one minute, then sunny and warm the next! It was this kind of day that Natasha (Nat) & Jon graced me with their presence for their engagement session–chilly and grey at first, ending with a beautiful light! It stayed a bit chilly though, so props to Nat for bearing through it!

Spending time with these two came pretty naturally! Grace & I felt like we were hanging out with old friends. It was so easy to chat about life and random things here and there, too! They were both so easy to get along with, and it was fun getting to witness a glimpse of their love! You could see Nat’s love for him in her eyes, and you could feel their chemistry in their silliness together–all the stolen silly faces and laughter! And it was so sweet to see Jon’s care for Nat as he watched her steps and made sure she was okay, and his sincere smiles as he looked at his wife to be!

Now, without further adieu, I’m so excited to share their love story just a couple days before they say their “I do”s!!

“I met [Natasha] in church about 15 years ago! My first impression of her was a little girl who loves Hello Kitty, K-pop, and Michael Phelps. She was “not my type” and I never expected to date or marry Nat but this shows how God works in ways we can’t predict.” // Jon

“…We basically grew up together. Our mothers were also in the same small group. We’d see each other a couple times a week for fellowship and service. During the summer when school was out, a majority of our youth group would just go to someone’s house and chill. I don’t recall my very first impression of him, but I remember him being very quiet and shy. He was also the youngest out of the youth and since Eirene had a minimum grade of 7th and up, I was curious as to why he was an exception lol.” // Nat

A side note, the name of Jon & Nat’s youth group, Eirene, means “peace” in Greek! I think it’s so cool that these two have known each other for so long, and that their families were already friends, too! I love hearing stories of how lives become intertwined! :)

I also love how they began dating! Nat’s perspective cracks me up! Haha

“Officially, I can’t say exactly who! I think it was Jon? We had established our feelings about each other a couple months before we became “official”. We were in his room, it just turned midnight (I don’t know why I was out that late…) and he/we just said let’s start dating and then we hugged :) I will say Jon is the one who initiated our relationship though because he tried to kiss me on the cheek before I left for vacation, which prompted me to DTR with him! HAHA.“

Jon recalls the night Nat mentioned that he asked her to start dating, too:

“I asked Natasha out on 10/10/11.  It was a night after she got off work late at night and I just felt the urge to ask her out.  I didn’t make it fancy with flowers or chocolate, I just straight up asked her!”

Haha!! As you can tell, Jon knew what he wanted! ;) Now before I continue to share with you more about Jon & Nat and how Jon proposed, let’s begin on their engagement session!

As I mentioned, it was a bit chilly, but the two of them asked for part of their session to include Ice Cream since they’re both ice cream lovers!! & Of course, I said YES! because I LOVE ice cream, too! YUM! So we ended up at Jeni’s, which was on our way to Malibu!

Helping me this day was my good friend Grace of GDY Photo & Video while John was at work! :)

Rain or shine–ice cream is always a good idea! And these two had each other to cozy up next to! ;) But really, friends. It was chilly. I was shivering in my windbreaker, jeans & boots behind the camera! They were amazing!

Food plays a big role in Jon & Nat’s relationship! Jon shares a bit of that as he describes Natasha in 3 words!

“Christian – She has been a Christian for as long as I can remember and a prerequisite for me was that my SO had to be a Christian.Foodie – Nat and I love to try new places to eat! Many of our memories are through the connection of food.Loving – Her friendship with all the people she interacts with is very genuine and loving.”

Jon also mentioned her ability to cook as part of list of things he’s attracted by!

“The things that attracts me the most about my SO are that she’s a God-loving woman, she’s very supportive of my decisions, and she accepts my flaws. She can cook and bake, that’s always a plus!“

We didn’t stay too long before we ventured onwards to Malibu, chasing the sun! But don’t be fooled, it was still a bit chilly! Which I wouldn’t mind so much right about now!

It was beautiful to see the clouds clear up as we parked our cars and began our new adventure!

“Jon is so incredibly patient!! He’s completely opposite of me. It’s something I admire about him very much. I strive to be patient like him all the time, especially when he’s testing my patience hehe.”

Three words Natasha used to describe Jon:

“Selfless Jon doesn’t think about himself. He cares for others, but doesn’t always show it. He puts others before him and doesn’t desire to be have that same care reciprocated.Care-free In situations where one would normally lose their cool, aka me, he’ll tell me that it’s fine, move on, and act like nothing happened. Things that would cause you to react negatively, he doesn’t and always remains calm!Loyal Jon is THE friend you can always count on. He’s a Yes-man. Blessing or curse? I don’t know….lolAnd a bonus one: forgetful lol. Self-explanatory?”

Just as we thought we escaped the clouds, it decided to make another guest appearance!

Now you’re probably ready to hear how Jon proposed to Nat!

“My best friend, Stephanie, and I had never gone on a trip together. We decided to go somewhere close by for a Friday night, so we decided on San Diego. We had breakfast at the hotel, hiked through Torrey Pines (AMAZING views), stopped at Starbucks and then headed out to Point Loma Tide Pools.I really wanted to go check out some tide pools and had previously expressed to Jon that I wanted to go there with him. When we got there, it was pretty packed and Steph asked if we had signal and I said no. It was pretty gloomy that day and I was scared we had arrived during high tide. I was looking everywhere for the way to head down to the tide pools. Steph was saying “Let’s try over here” so we went north.” // Natasha

“When I arrived to the tide pools in Point Loma, there was no reception!  I was trying to get in contact with her best friend but to no avail. I was waiting for about an hour and a half and finally they both arrive. As I was waiting, the tide was coming up and my setup was getting ruined and my pictures were getting wet so I had to adjust on the spot.  When they arrived, they were going in the wrong direction until a stranger helped guide them to where I was!” // Jon

“I noticed an older Caucasian man behind us but thought nothing of it. Then I noticed he kept following us despite us going up some stairs. We heard him exclaiming “Hi, hi!” We finally stopped when we realized he was calling out to us. He said “Are you looking for someone?” I was perplexed, to say the least. How did he know I was looking for the tide pools, did my look of desperation mixed with excitement show all over my face? But WHY would he use the incorrect indefinite pronoun? Steph hesitated and then she replied “Yes, do you know where?”My main concern at this point was really whether or not we would be able to see the tide pools! So we follow the man and he leads us down the rocks to the beach. All of a sudden, Jon is standing in front of me, in his denim shirt and I ask quite bluntly “What, why are you here?” He responds with “Come here” and extends his hand to take mine so I can follow him. We walk further down onto the beach and I see his parents close to the side of the cliffs, waving at me. Cue the waterworks. Jon takes me to this circle of rocks alternating with framed photos of us and mason jars filled with flowers (that he later told me he put together) and I stand in front of it. He asks “What are you doing? Stand inside!” // Natasha

“In all honesty, I didn’t know I was supposed to stand inside…I just thought I was to admire his work from the outside of the circle! So I stand inside and then he proposes! He has to jam the ring onto my finger because it was hot and humid and I was nervous. My mum pops out and I cry some more. Jon’s brother and sister-in-law come out and I cry some more. My mum tells me my grandma was watching from the top of the cliffs at a bench since they didn’t want her to walk down the rocks. We head to the parking lot to recount everything and I hug my grandma and I cry and she tears up, which is the first time I’ve seen her done so.We then headed out to Coops BBQ for a late lunch and then finished off our day at a gelato shop! Steph actually told me she had a nightmare the day would go awry the night before. I’ve always been keen on knowing when someone is hiding something from me and suspicious of people’s actions if they’re acting out of the ordinary. I’m also rarely surprised because of this. But, wow, was I surprised about the proposal! Jon was saying how this was the only surprise that ever mattered out of previous failed attempts at other things, and was happy he pulled it off.” // Natasha

Such a sweet surprise!!! Also such a miracle that the stranger knew & helped Jon out by leading Nat his way! I confirmed that Jon didn’t even ask this gentleman to help out! What a sweet man, and what a blessing! Without signal they could’ve wandered around for quite some time!

And just like that, as we continued shooting, the clouds disappeared for another moment, and the blue skies were back as we finished up our time together!

While you see the beautiful sunshine and sweet warmth in these images, I wanted to interject that in all honesty, it was SO cold. Again, I want to just wanted to give Natasha props as she rocked her dress while I stayed warm in my layers! Every moment we got, we threw on her cardigan and Jon helped rub her arms to keep her warm! Such a trooper! :)

“The one thing I have learned by dating [Nat] is that when I am wrong, saying “sorry” is not always the best response or answer.  Taking action and fixing the mistake is more important.” // Jon

I agree with this. Of course, a sincere apology is so important. Because without that apology, there’s no humility in seeing that there’s something to improve. No one’s perfect, which is why I think relationships (whether romantical or plutonic friendships) are so transformative in building our character and growing us to be more like Christ as we seek His forgiveness and reformation!

“We love because He loved us first.” 1 John 4:19

A piece of scripture Jon shared that he and Nat really like–a verse you might have seen in previous love stories I’ve shared of Christian couples. In case you’re not really sure what all the fuss is about this verse, I think Natasha’s quote, which is shared next gives a pretty good example of this. :)

“Loving someone takes major effort (loss of self) and it isn’t passive. When I’m faced with pet peeves I have about Jon, it is harder to love him at that moment because I allow my selfish desires get the best of me. I’ve had times where I would say or do something and later on realizing how selfish I was.I also learned how imperfect my love is compared to the love that Jesus has for us. Jesus loves us with no conditions, even when we’re in sin, knowingly and unknowingly. We don’t have to work for His love and seek for His attention. He loves us even when we don’t love Him. While loving can take work, it also comes naturally because I’ve experienced Christ’s sacrificial love. My actions and words of love to Jonathan are an outpouring of the love that Christ has shown me.” // Natasha

I love how Natasha shared that. I can totally relate to Natasha in having said or done something that was unloving and selfish. It’s easy to instinctually do that in the heat of the moment. But as I recall back to the sacrificial love of Christ, where He died on a cross with the weight of my sin, rising again so that I could rise and have a relationship with God, too, I am reminded that I did nothing to deserve His love, yet He gave it to me. If I have been forgiven so freely and loved so abundantly, how can I not strive to love those around me like He has loved me–especially my husband?

Thus we actively strive to love because of His love for us. It’s rooted and strengthened by His love for us. As Natasha wrote, it’s an outpour of His demonstration of love. It’s not easy, but it becomes “more natural” as we continue to seek Jesus through the Bible and prayer.

In case you want to understand what it means to be loved by Jesus and what all this is about, feel free to email me. :) I’d love to help explain it more if I can!

CONGRATULATIONS NAT & JON!! I am so excited to be photographing, witnessing & celebrating your marriage in just a couple of days!! :)

As I end their story of love, I wanted to share the words of wisdom these two wanted to share with those of you reading!

“For the seriously dating, ask each other those big, “scary” questions: Do you want to get married? Do you want kids? How many? Who will be in charge of the finances? and talk about deal breakers–don’t wait for them to pop up and address it at that time.If you’re not thinking about marriage in the future, ask why you’re still committed to the relationship and what your goal is. For the soon-to-be engaged, decide whether or not you want a wedding ceremony/reception, get to know the in-laws and be intentional about hanging out with them — you’re not just marrying their child, you’re marrying them too!” // Natasha

“Pre-marital counseling really helped us out and we would highly recommend it.  We learned about conflict resolution and speaking up if one of us doesn’t like something instead if harboring it all in and unleashing it all at once.” // John

 

Happy Wednesday, friends! :)