DREAMY CALVERT CLIFFS AND SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN ENGAGEMENT SESSION | CAROLINE AND ANDREW | MARYLAND WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER | AMANDA MACPHEE STUDIOS

Dreamy is an understatement! Once we finally made it down to the cliffs (we had to try 2 separate times because of the weather) we were in awe of the beauty hiding behind what looks like any old hike. (yes there was hiking too). We had so much fun exploring the cliffs and just taking in all the beauty! As you will read below, Caroline and Andrew are BIG travelers, so locations really speak to them! (Just wait until you read about their proposal location! All the heart eyes!!! And it doesn’t end there! We ended up doing a second session over by Sugarloaf too! It was so wonderful watching these cuties get comfortable and really show me their love story! Also frolicking in a field never disappoints 🙂

It All Started With a Giraffe on Stilts

One fateful night in Seattle brought Andrew and Caroline together for what would turn into a romance across the U.S… Caroline was working as a designer in Seattle while Andrew was stationed in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. One weekend in 2015, Caroline and a friend went out for a night of music and dancing in Seattle. They were at a club (not Caroline’s typical hangout!) with performers on stilts dressed up as safari animals. The one dressed as a giraffe took an unfortunate tumble on her stilts – don’t worry, she wasn’t hurt! – and as the crowd shifted to make sure she was ok, This is when Caroline and Andrew met eyes from across the now-cleared dancefloor.

The moment for dancing had passed, but Caroline was secretly happy to have the chance for a quieter conversation with this guy with a great smile. He told her he was in town for his friend’s bachelor party (the circumstances just kept getting weirder!) and the conversation soon turned to travel in Southeast Asia. Andrew had just returned from a language immersion in his birthplace, Indonesia, and Caroline was headed to the Philippines for a study abroad trip. They continued to talk throughout the evening and parted ways when the night was over.

There was definitely something special there, but each person’s circumstances were so different that both assumed it was probably just another fun night for the books. But almost a year later, they got back in touch and started getting to know each other better!!! Texts turned to phone calls and finally an in-person date in Seattle.

Caroline showed Andrew the beautiful mountain scenery outside of the city and Andrew taught Caroline how to ski. A few more long-distance dates (involving more skiing, midnight biking, and lots of Seattle coffee) were all it took to realize this was something special. Caroline would say that it was Andrew’s smile and quick wit that drew her to him. For Andrew, it was Caroline’s kind-heartedness and sincerity. From 2016 to 2020, Caroline and Andrew supported each other from afar through multiple moves, promotions, job changes, and fur-baby adoptions.

On February 2, 2019, Andrew surprised Caroline with a proposal.

The Never Ending Proposal

Andrew: “I had sold Caroline on a vacation to a warm tropical location that neither of us had ever been to. After her last vacation to Iceland, followed by a cold winter in Seattle, she was more than ready. However, what Caroline didn’t know was my ulterior motive of a marriage proposal. During her trip to Iceland, I had guaranteed that there was a spy in the midst—her best friend, Meghan. Her objective was to gain key intel on Caroline’s engagement ring preferences and report back to me. Not only did Meghan succeed, but she performed flawlessly. I would receive calls back from Caroline on how Meghan was “madly in love with her boyfriend” and was “already talking about marriage.” Not once did she consider that her confidant was supplying me with trade secrets about her!

Fast forward 6 months—Caroline and I had this magical vacation planned. We would fly to Kauai, hopping along the coast in a clockwise-fashion from Airbnb to Airbnb to enjoy what each location had to offer. We rented a Jeep Wrangler and for the first few days we ventured to multiple beaches, a cocoa plantation, two different farmer’s markets with delicious fruit and vegetable selections, dined at fantastic seafood restaurant, and sailed along the awe-inspiring Napali Coast.

The last day was planned to showcase the state parks on the western side of the island, where we would witness views across the Waimea Canyon landscape and I would make my proposal. So that morning, as we ventured out in our Jeep up and into the mountains, I was mentally preparing for my speech. We arrived at Waimea Canyon and hiked out the viewpoints. An incredible view—the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, as the locals call it. A perfect place to propose… except for the fact that with each moment I would try to kneel some random distraction would sweep Caroline way. The timing wasn’t right…

The Perfect Proposal

Andrew: “So we drove on. I decided the best course of action, moving forward and salvaging the situation, would be to find a trailhead and hike out to a private viewing area. However, the trailheads along the Kokee Road are not very apparent. Most of the time they are on private land, involve no signage, and can only be distinguished by the number of vehicles parked in the nearby ditch. And with each mile we drove, the clouds began creeping in. Also, Caroline was understandably not very keen on going “trespassing” on a hike (even though it is widely accepted for locals and tourists). I was beginning to get nervous and it was showing. As we reached the end of the road at Kalalau Canyon, we hopped out of the car to get one last view. There were tons of people gathering around and it was fairly cloudy—not ideal for a proposal… Then, as we loitered a bit at the viewpoint railing, the gathering of people nearby transformed into an organized hula dance show.

We sat there for a few minutes, thoroughly enjoying the show when a group of hikers hopped across a fence and popped up right next to us. Apparently, we had been standing next to the disguised trailhead for Kalalau Canyon. We spoke to the hikers for a few minutes. After a bit of convincing, Caroline finally agreed that it would be ok to journey over this fence and onto the trail. Luckily, at the parking lot I had slipped the ring into her backpack, just in case the moment was right, but also knowing that she would only need to access my backpack for her phone or water.

Down the mountain we went. Past ferns and boulders we ventured, peering off along the steep cliffside that dropped for thousands of feet. It was an adrenaline rush of excitement and anticipation! Then, upon our arrival at a grassy opening, almost as if on cue… the skies cleared and unveiled a canyon of monumental cliffs with waterfalls and a vivid rainbow hugging the peaks along the coast. I knew this was the moment! I used this opportunity to help take the backpack Caroline was carrying off her shoulders, casually grab the ring, and gently take a knee (Caroline would argue that I almost fell over). And with her doe-eyed expression and brilliant smile, I began to make my speech… She would go on to never remember a single word I said in that magical moment, but I would remember hers as she ecstatically proclaimed “YES!””

The One

Sometimes there is a defining moment, other times its a slow build, but eventually every couple can say how they knew the other was “the one.” That one person they can envision a forever future with.

From Andrew – “From our early phone conversations, I knew that Caroline and I would be a great match. But after driving across the country with her and visiting Scandinavia with her, I realized how well we truly got along and enjoyed each other’s company—especially during the stressful times. She is independent, intelligent, driven, and genuine and I know that together we can do great things for the world.”

From Caroline – “Part of me knew Andrew was “the one” from our very first phone conversations. This was a year after we first met and were just starting to talk. He was living in Anchorage and I was in Seattle, so besides that very first meeting, it was a long distance relationship in every sense. We would talk on the phone and get to know each other, and I remember appreciating how easily the conversation came. It seemed like we had known each other forever! Even though we seem like very different people on paper, we were constantly having moments of “wow, I think the same thing – you’re the only other person that’s ever said that!” We truly became friends over the course of those phone calls. Queue our first date and a few subsequent trips to visit each other, and it was clear that this was something special. Nothing great comes easy, right? And it wasn’t always easy! Military life, shifting career trajectories, and great physical distance constantly challenged us, but we knew we had to persevere for each other. I could always count on Andrew’s calm and reassuring voice over the phone telling me that we would work everything out. It was in my darker moments of doubt that I realized Andrew was the one and was worth fighting for!”

An October Wedding at Big Cork Vineyards!

This October these two make it official at the Breathtaking Big Cork Vineyards! I am so excited for them and I cannot wait for this wedding!

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