Relaxed Southwestern Engagement Shoot in the Phoenix Arizona desert canyons

Real Engagements: Ashley & Jeff

Black African American fiancee Ashley engaged engagement fiance Jeff casual photoshoot bride to be mountains desert cactus cacti canyons Phoenix Arizona

For many single folks during the height of the pandemic quarantine, it could be seen as the worst of times, though, for Ashley and Jeff, it was seen as the best of times. The kindred spirits met each other via Match.com. Jeff was the first to reach out, and he immediately felt comfortable giving his phone number to Ashley. She was pleased with what she saw of him – so much of their lives seemed to be in alignment and he checked off several boxes on her list. She called right away, and that was the beginning of a God-ordained relationship. It only took a few days of speaking on the phone for both Jeff, a business analyst and entrepreneur, and Ashley, a residential property manager, to sense there was something special. Ashley was raised in the South, having attended Georgia State University in her home state. In her 20s she moved to Huntington Beach, Southern California. Thankfully, Jeff wasn’t too far, living in Phoenix, AZ. Undeterred by the nearly six-hour drive, two weeks after their initial phone conversation, Jeff was on the road to go on his first in-person date with his new girlfriend. The pair ate Mexican take-out huddled around a fire on the beach. From then, months of virtual dates, late-night chats, social distancing, Zoom family introductions and Covid tests for traveling ensued. Despite these challenges, Ashley and Jeff’s bond and spiritual relationship only strengthened. Knowing that each other’s end goal was marriage, the pair was free to be transparent and the couple began an engagement preparation program through Ashley’s church called How We Love based on the book by Milan & Kay Yerkovich.

After only six months of dating, Jeff knew there was no need to belabor and he planned a proposal. The perfect time would occur when the couple would take the trip they were planning to Puerto Rico. Ashley has Puerto Rican background and she had yet to visit the island. She and Jeff traveled there to take in the beauty of PR, and to meet some of her extended family. While sightseeing on a remote island called Vieques, there were several secluded beaches Jeff and Ashley had the pleasure of seeing. One particular beach really caught her eye. After dinner, Jeff brought Ashley back to the secluded beach she adored most, as it had a swing strung from a palm tree. He sat her down on the swing and had her close her eyes. Then he got down on one knee and proposed. The couple began wedding planning on the plane ride home. Because they intended to have a beach wedding in Southern California, Ashley suggested they do their engagement photos in Jeff’s hometown of Phoenix. Once the wedding takes place, Ashley and her son will move to Arizona to join Jeff and his son as a blended family. Jeff and Ashley were wed at the Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Garden in San Clemente, CA in November of 2021.