Meet Catherine + Jake! I got to wander around Carnegie Mellon University with them on such a gorgeous Friday!! This is where they met, and ultimately where he proposed! I love that they chose to go there for their session…a place that means something and the fact that they will be able to point to the picture one day and tell their grandchildren *THIS* is he proposed just makes me so happy!!! <3 I’m all sentimental like that! Not to mention that the proposal was AMAZING!!!! I just wish *I* was there to document it! *hint hint* to all of you who are planning a future proposal-just sayin!
Tell us about your proposal:
“So, I knew he was going to propose because we had picked out the ring together (couldn’t trust him on a decision like that alone!) and I knew it was going to be soon. Jake is normally horrible at surprises so I was sure I would know when it was coming. I even bought a nice dress to wear; I was pretty confident that I would have enough advance warning to look nice when the time came 🙂
In the meantime, I got an email from a professor we both know–actually, the professor from the class where we met! We’re pretty close with him, so I wasn’t surprised when he asked me to babysit his son on the upcoming Friday. I was really excited because his son (about 2 years old) is ADORABLE and I’d secretly been dying to babysit for him for a long time!! He said that he just needed someone to watch him for an hour or so outside on the hill behind CMU (called Flagstaff hill). I was pumped and I told Jake and my sister how excited I was!
I had an inkling that the proposal might be that night, but it would have to be after babysitting, so I planned to change out of my yoga clothes when I finished. I walked to Flagstaff hill after work, getting there a few minutes early. I noticed Jake’s car there, and wondered vaguely what he was doing there, or if he was setting up something for the proposal tomorrow. I even saw him run down the hill and get something from his car (which I later found out was the ring!) but I really didn’t think anything of it.
Then I got a text from the professor asking me to come up the hill because his son had run up there. So I started climbing this huge hill, when I noticed a tree covered in lights….
As I got closer, I noticed that Jake was sitting on a bench underneath the tree and it was surrounded by candles and flowers….
The lights were absolutely gorgeous and the sun was just starting to set after a rainy day.
I was breathing really hard when I got to the top of the hill and I really couldn’t believe it was happening. Then Jake got down on one knee and I said yes!
It was amazing because a lot of my friends were there hiding because they had helped to set up the tree, and one of my friends who is a great photographer was there to capture the moment!
Even better, my sister had brought the dress I had bought for the occasion so I could change into it to have pictures taken! I was so amazed and happy!
And, the ring was even more beautiful than I remembered!” -Catherine
Random Facts About Catherine
1. My dad was born in Ireland, and I have family all over the world!
2. I LOVE say yes to the dress, and I watch it even after I bought my wedding dress.
3. Bananas have to have at least a few brown spots before I can eat them. Which is a problem in my house, because everyone else likes them green and so I never get to eat any!
Random Facts About Jake
1. Homeschooled, then went to community college, then ended up at CMU.
2. Very proud that he can start a fire with a magnifying glass.
3. He learned most of his words from reading books (not social interaction) so he mispronounces a TON of words. For example, he recently discovered that “Wyoming” is not pronounced “Wyomie”
–We LOVE doctor who. We’ve watched every episode together.
–Exploring Pittsburgh. I’m a Pittsburgh native, so I love showing him around. And you’d be surprised how many places we can discover together!
–Hiking. We both adore being outside, although I prefer feeling safe whereas he is a bit of a daredeveil. We do tend to get lost every time. He hasn’t convinced me to go camping yet, but probably will soon…
–Cooking. We both love to cook, although Jake is more of a natural. He loves to try out his new concoctions on me, especially variations on steak. yummmmm
*THIS is the tree he proposed under!!!!!!!! <3
So how did you meet?
‘We met in a neuroscience class at Carnegie Mellon. We were assigned to the same group for a group presentation, and we got along really well. We started getting to know each other and realized that we lived only a block away from each other in Shadyside, so we started hanging out and studying together every day. I remember that he had a remarkably open schedule–he would drive me home from class and then say, “Well, I was just going to study at Starbucks if you wanted to join…” and we’d end up spending the whole day together. He says he’s never studied so much!” -Catherine
Who said I love you first?
“Honestly I’m not sure. By the time Jake convinced me to date him, I was head over heels in love with him and vice versa. I’m sure we both said I love you on our first date. And it was true :)” -Catherine
You’ll be seeing A LOT more of these two in a few months when I shoot their wedding! I.can.not.wait!!!!! She’s going to be so gorgeous in a white dress!!!!
