As I drove to Cator Woolford Gardens in Atlanta, I grew more and more concerned about the weather. It had already been a pretty over cast day, but as I drove it only got cloudier. So, as I normally find myself doing, I began to pray. I prayed that the Lord would push away the clouds, even if only for a few minutes so that we could get some pretty glowy photos.
I arrived at the gardens early to look around, since this was a new spot for me, and I grew more and more excited by the second as I saw all the variety and beauty the gardens had to offer! After walking around for a few minutes I headed back to the car to meet up with Tim and Lija.
A little bit about Tim and Lija and their story: Tim is an Analytics Manager for DHL, and Lija is a Packaging Engineer for Home Depot. Lija’s job moved her to Columbus, Ohio, where she found herself working directly adjacent to Tim. “She was my work crush from the first time I saw her walk into work, but never thought she would be interested in me.”, Tim remembered. Little did Tim know that Lija liked him from the very beginning. “I thought he was so cute”, she said, “… and I couldn’t help but laugh at everything he said!” The rest is history. Tim new very quickly that he wanted to propose, and his plan was to do so in 2020. When Lija mentioned the idea of doing Christmas photos to have photos to send out as cards Tim said, “I immediately jumped on that opportunity to propose to her right before the holidays. The stars aligned perfectly!”. The day came and Tim took off work. He frantically began decorating their apartment for Christmas. “He seemed so hyper and I was confused as the only thing we had scheduled was a casual Christmas card photo”, explained Lija. Excitedly they planned all the different poses they could do, and Tim even ran out to grab fun Christmas hats to wear. Their session was wrapping up and their photographer said to Tim, “Okay, one more photo, make this one count.” At that moment Tim dropped down onto one knee. “I couldn’t believe that the love of my life was telling me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and all I could do was stare at his earnest eyes”, said Lija. After a moment Tim reminded her that he still needed an answer, and as the shock wore off Lija exclaimed, “Yes!”
Isn’t that just the sweetest!! I love Lija and Tim’s story. I also really enjoy asking my couples what their favorite thing to do together is, so naturally I had to ask Lija and Tim. Apparently they make sure to have a date night every week. It’s something they always look forward to. But whats fun is that they are strategic in keeping it fresh by trying new things! Lija said, “Sometimes it is a sip and paint, sometimes it’s a dinner, and sometimes it is going for a hike.” I absolutely love this! Caleb and I have been married for nearly 7 years, but I am definitely taking a page out of Tim and Lija’s book! What a great way to build your relationship and shake off the stress of a work week.
Well, the session began, and no sooner than I set them up for the first pose, guess what showed up… The sun!! I was literally doing a happy dance! The session was so magical from that moment on, and not just because the sun showed up, but because Tim and Lija are amazing! They are gorgeous, super fun, GREAT models, and head-over-heals inlove!
After we finished up at Woolford Gardens we headed over to Piedmont Park, which is just a few miles down the road. There we walked ( a LOT! lol I forgive you Tim), laughed, and ran. We finished our session out with some ring shots and a brisk walk back to our cars where we reluctantly said goodbye.
It was definitely a session for the books, which is why I am so excited to share these images with you all! Enjoy! And make sure you let me know what you think in the comments below!
Dear Tim and Lija,
Thank you so much for trusting me with your engagement photos! It was so much fun exploring new places with y’all! I am so excited for you two as you prepare for your life together. It was such a pleasure working with and getting to know you both! Enjoy these images.
Xoxo – Sarah B.
