Industrial, moody yet romantic engagement shoot on the rooftop at The Banneker Hotel in Washington DC

Real Engagements: Deja & Matthew

Black African American bride to be Deja fiance fiancee Matthew proposed proposal engaged engagement photoshoot ring Washington DC Maryland rooftop hotel moody industrial modern romantic urban

Deja and Matt’s love story began in 2013 in true Jim and Pam style from The Office. Deja worked as the receptionist at a showroom in Manhattan where Matt was a designer. They quickly hit it off over shared complaints about bad commutes and other worklife woes but it wasn’t until a bold text message from Matt appeared on Deja’s phone asking if there was “something going on” between them, that got them together for their first of many dates. Both could sense the romantic tension that had been building for months.

Since then, the two have been each other’s constant support system, party planning committee, and sometimes, the party itself. Matt, a graphic designer who attended School of Visual Arts, and Deja, who works in Global Editorial Operations and graduated from both SUNY Empire State College and LIM College, have been inseparable and the epitome of a dynamic duo. As the pair are highly style conscious, it was only fitting that Matt proposed to Deja on the eve of her 30th birthday on a trip he planned for them to take to Palm Springs, CA. In front of a mid century modern home on a guided tour, Matt got down on one knee. Neighbors overlooking the picturesque house cheered for the couple. They spent the rest of the night celebrating at a nice dinner with a professional photographer in tow.

For their engagement photoshoot the couple conjured a modern yet warm aesthetic and knew the The Lady Bird Rooftop at The Banneker Hotel would provide the perfect setting, with a lounge, rooftop and a stairwell that could offer three distinct looks for the shoot. Matt and Deja were wed on September 17, 2022 at the Gertrudes in the Baltimore Museum of Art Sculpture Garden in Baltimore, MD.