Winter Engagement :: Washington DC
Nikita and Nick are fun-loving and adventurous, and as far as sunrises go, theirs was colorful perfection. The November air was chilly but they stayed cozy in each other’s arms as we ran around the National Mall, starting with the Lincoln Memorial with the first rays of light, and ending down by the Reflection Pool.
Nikita and Nick matched on a dating app (Nikita says she was only online for three days) and instead of waiting for him to make the first move, she asked him, Are you going to message me? It’s worth noting that Nikita also took the initiative of setting up an engagement photo session with me; Nick says he was originally hesitant about being photographed, but once they say their photos he was so glad they did!
They had three fabulous dates before her two-month long trip to India, and Nick was there at the airport to pick her up. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
Nikita loves Nick’s kindness, humility, and sense of humor, noting, “he is the first to giggle at every joke he cracks”.
As Nick got to know Nikita, he loved her sense of adventure - she was willing to jump right into any new activity with an open mind and heart. He called her attitude optimistic and refreshing, and she even convinced him to take dance lessons. Nick says Nikita makes him feel comfortable being himself. “I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
The day of Nick’s move down to Maryland, Nikita’s work also gave her the green light to relocate (no easy feat - she was on a work visa). “The minute I told him about the news, he hugged me and was so happy that he teared up. I could see how much that meant to him and I knew he was the one!”
Nick describes their love as comfortable, yet one that keeps him on his toes. Even amidst covid locksdowns and isolation, he says,“there is nothing I look forward to more than coming home from work and spending my night with Nikita.”
One day, a month before they became engaged, Nick woke up one day feeling incredibly happy. That very day he went to pick out a ring. He wanted to let Nikita know how much their relationship meant to him.
Nick proposed at the very spot he and Nikita met in person for the first time - on campus in Rochester. Nikita says,“Out of the blue he went down on one knee and proposed. My first words were ‘What are you doing?!” She describes the next minute as a whirlwind of emotions, ending in joyful tears while he was still kneeling, waiting for her to respond - YES!
This was one of the most fun early-morning sessions I’ve had in a while. All bundled up and multiple lenses in hand, I made the trek downtown while it was still dark to ensure we’d catch the first rays of light. Their coordinating outfits and laughter-filled smiles brought warm cheer to their photo session.
Their love is built on respect and understanding, and they are always finding ways to make the other happy.
"Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only with what you are expecting to give, which is everything."
— Katharine Hepburn
