We are always so over-the-moon happy to get emails from brides and grooms, so when today's bride-to-be sent over her engagement pictures (captured by one of our faves, Elaine Palladino Photography) I was excited to share it with you! Katrina and Bjorn have a such a sweet story and love for each other, and they did exactly what we love to see: incorporate something meaningful and memorable into their engagement session.
With Bjorn living in Jamaica and Katrina in Miami, the couple has maintained a long distance relationship for nearly seven years. American Airlines has been the bridge between them, so they wanted to make sure to capture the planes in their session, no matter how far away they had to be... isn't that so sweet? Elaine, Katrina and Bjorn spent the day snapping shots at the Miami Airport, the Rickenbacker Causeway, and Hobie Beach on Key Biscayne.
Says Katrina, a pediatric nurse, of why Bjorn and her are a good match: I love that Bjorn grounds me and reminds me of the simple things in life. I get caught up in the flashy high life sometimes and love that Bjorn allows me to expand his horizons while maintaining boundaries. We love hanging out and being with family and friends. We seem to find humor in life regardless of what we are facing. We talk to each other about any and everything. Sometimes we fight and disagree but then again who doesn't?!? I wouldn't be with him if he agreed with everything I said. How boring!
Katrina shared the story of how they met: Bjorn and I have known of each other our entire lives. Our families are closely related but with me living in the states and B in Jamaica, we were never really close. Facebook wasn't around when we were growing up so that wasn't even an option. ;-) Summer of '04 I went to Negril, Jamaica with my cousins for Jamaica's independence. It's an annual celebration and a lot of people go to Negril to party that weekend. I was doing just that when I was called to at the bar. Not knowing what Bjorn looked like I was confused when his cousin tried to get my attention. I said hello but didn't pay too much attention to him. The following year we met up again around my birthday. We hung out and shared our first kiss. I remember him telling me one night that he was going to marry me. I laughed and said ok, not taking him serious at all! Later that summer I went back to Negril for another fun filled weekend with my cousins and ran into Bjorn again. We reconnected and well, the rest is history.
Katrina also told us the bittersweet story of their engagement: Although we talked about getting married and it was something we both wanted, Bjorn didn't plan to propose when he did. 5 months before Bjorn proposed his dad was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. I went down to Jamaica to visit his dad and spend some time with him. Being a nurse I realized that he was a lot sicker than anyone realized or was ready to admit. On September 16, 2011 I was sitting on Bjorn's bed watching tv. He came and laid next to me and popped the question. I was taken aback and before even saying yes I asked if he was serious. We kissed and cried and were unbelievably happy. We went outside to tell his dad and the moment he held my hand to look at the ring and congratulate us will be forever embedded in our minds. We somehow managed to create a moment of happiness during such a sad time. Bjorn's dad passed away a few weeks later and we are both so thankful that he was able to share in our engagement.
Katrina and Bjorn are now in the throes of wedding planning, with 6 months left to go until the big day. Although she's always dreamed about her wedding, Katrina says she's been surprisingly easy going with the details. Her advice to future brides: Book the major things such as location, caterer, and date as soon as you can so that you can spend most of your engagement planning the fun stuff like the DRESS!!! Also, don't let the little details get you down. It's easier said than done but it's you and your future hubby's day so do what makes you two happy. Once I got over thinking that I needed to please others wedding planning began a lot more fun!
Perfect advice, Katrina! Thanks so much for sharing your photos and sweet story with us. Much love and congratulations to you and Bjorn!
LOCATION/VENDOR INFORMATION:
Locations: Miami Airport and Key Biscayne | Photography: Elaine Palladino Photography
Did you see the sweet love story that @elainepalladino shot that we featured today….check it out! http://t.co/iJruJSgv
Lovely…..Congrats
wishing u God’s blessings
aww this is sooo sweet! love you guys!! xx