Hallie & Baker’s Blue Ridge Parkway Engagement Session
Blue Ridge Parkway Engagement Session
Hallie and Baker’s Engagement Session was epic to say the least! Baker works for the town of Blowing Rock, NC and when they first reached out with interest in an Adventure Engagement Session, I was super excited… he would know all of the best spots to take us! And boy did he come through!
At the time of the photoshoot, I was still new to the area, after having moved back to the region from Haiti, and I have yet to really explore some of the top destinations for photos. Fortunately, both Baker and Hallie were very well acquainted with the local hotspots and were able to share with me some of their favorites! Check out just a few of the shots from the day…
Couple’s Q&A
Date of Session
4/5/2021- Blue Ridge Parkway Engagement Session
Future wedding date and venue
9/4/22 Chetola Resort– Blowing Rock, NC
How did y’all meet?
Like many modern day love stories, our story began on a dating app! Hallie was raising money for a non-profit organization through her university and Baker donated $103 to help Hallie reach her goal, without having met her yet! She obviously had to meet him in-person after that, but they had a couple mutual friends in common, so that made her feel more at ease.
On a whim, Baker asked Hallie to pick up some Chick-Fil-A on a random Tuesday night and went on a late night drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. There, they spent hours telling each other about their life stories, overlooking the beautiful Blue Ridge mountains.
When and where did you go on your first date?
February 2018 + an overlook on the blue ridge parkway
Tell me about your first date together?
We picked up some Chick-fil-A to have on our drive on the parkway. We sat at an overlook on a chilly February evening, just telling each other about our life stories, getting to know one another, and laughing…for HOURS. Looking back, he could have been a complete serial killer and I could’ve been abducted seeing as there’s no phone service on the parkway, but thankfully, he wasn’t! You live and you learn, right?
How did you fall in love?
Hallie: I thought it was sweet it took him three dates to hold my hand because he was so nervous! He wasn’t like all the other guys. Overtime, we became inseparable and the best of friends. Also, on our second date, we ordered pizza and he said he likes mushrooms on his pizza…that’s MY favorite pizza topping! I knew he was a keeper right then and there!
Baker: It started off with me being a total nervous wreck. I waited till the third date to even hold her hand, and on the second one, I held her foot. Yes, you read that right, her foot. Hallie was beautiful, intelligent, could carry on a conversation, and last but not least, she was funnier than I was. I had to swallow my pride and admit she was the funnier one in the relationship, and since admitting that, things have been perfect.
Honestly, it started off being comfortable with her (after the first three sweaty palm, stomach churning dates), seeing how respectful she was to my family and others, and going 8 weeks without seeing each other during the pandemic. Our relationship became stronger during those 8 weeks and I knew I was head over heels.
When/where did he/she propose?
We had spent 9 weeks apart at the start of the COVID pandemic. I was living in Charlotte and Baker was in Boone. We were only able to communicate via FaceTime, which was hard, but made our reunion so much more worth it!
On my first weekend to Boone after our 9 weeks apart, Baker had schemed with my best friend to come up with his proposal plan! On the day of the proposal, my friend told me that she needed me to go with her to “buy a dehumidifier” from a mutual friend of ours and that we would be meeting at the park for this exchange. I had lots of questions, but ultimately had no clue what was about to happen.
The rain totally threw his plans out and he needed a backup plan, hence the “dehumidifier”. When we got to the park, it started raining and my friend wanted us to go on a little walk around the park before buying the dehumidifier. I said no, as it was literally raining, but she insisted and said it would be a quick walk.
So we get out of her car and I threw the hood of my rain jacket over my head and walked towards Baker (little did I know that he was there waiting for me!). At one point, I looked up and saw a random man standing under the gazebo. I did a double take and thought to myself “That’s creepy someone is just standing there alone” and then “Wait…that looks like Baker…” and then “Wait, that IS Baker! I wonder what he’s doing here…maybe we’re all gonna get dinner together after getting the dehumidifier!” to…”Oh….there’s no dehumidifier.”
I saw that he was wearing his, what I like to call, “fancy pants”, so I knew something special was about to happen. After the proposal, which honestly neither one of us remembered what was even said, Baker said he had one more surprise for me. We walked into a nearby building and he had put together a compilation of video messages from my closest family and friends congratulating us on our engagement!
What are you most excited about for your wedding?
Seeing all of our closest family & friends in one room! Also, Baker’s sister will be playing Canon in D on the violin as I walk down the aisle!
Describe your relationship in 5 words
lighthearted, funny, strong, steady, loving
Where would y’all go for your dream honeymoon?
Fiji…or any tropical island
What is your most favorite thing about each other?
Hallie: My favorite thing about baker is the way he treats those around him. he honestly never meets a stranger! he would do anything for anyone that he even remotely knew. i love his kind heart and spirit.
Baker: My most favorite thing about Hallie is her smile. When I’m having a stressful day, I know that I will be greeted with a smile and some sort of second-rate, bad joke. That smile could lift anyone’s spirit and honestly one of the best parts of my day. She has this thing about her where she can make me crack up by just looking at me, and I love that we can still make each other laugh on a whim. I even have a couple of my favorite pictures saved on my phone to glance at her smile when I am in need of a pick-me-up.
How have you grown as a couple since you first started dating?
We have grown tremendously as a couple. While dating each other, Hallie has graduated with a 4-year degree, was employed full-time with a job that was 2 hours away, and now back in school pursuing a life-long goal: to become a nurse. While Hallie has been pursuing her goals, I have been in a career transition phase. Through dating, I have had 4 different job titles, worked multiple jobs at once, and saved as much as I could to start a comfortable life together.
Both of us have made decisions that were not glamorous or fun, but have displayed strength and confidence in our relationship. At first, we started sentences with “I”, and now it is “we”.
Favorite quirk about each other
Hallie: Baker “flicks” his fingers after eating any sort of chip where he gets crumbs on his fingers…but he does this after each individual chip, not when he is completely done! it’s hilarious!
Baker: My favorite quirk about Hallie is that she takes up the entire bed when we are sleeping. She isn’t the tallest person, well she isn’t even close to average height, but she sleeps like she is Shaquille O’Neal playing post in Game 7 of the NBA Championship. Arms and legs everywhere, body posture strong, and you are unable to move her. The reason I say it is my favorite quirk is because that is who she is. Let’s circle back to this question in 10 years and I bet my response will be much different.
How do you feel most loved by your partner?
Hallie: When he remembers the little things that i’ve mentioned before. Baker doesn’t have the best memory so it’s sweet when he can recall something i’ve brought up previously.
Baker: I feel most loved by Hallie when we are on one of our “walks”. We tend to walk after work whenever and wherever we can. This is a time for both of us to debrief about our day, talk about our stresses, feel vulnerable with each other, and talk about our future together. It’s almost like a day-dream period for us, what our life will look like in 10-15 years. It’s very encouraging to have someone that has the same values and goals as myself, working just as hard to achieve them.
First impression of each other?
Hallie: at first glance, “he looks kinda too old for me.” After the hours we spent chatting on our first date, “I don’t think he’s into me…there probably won’t be a second date…”
Baker: “Wow This girl is gorgeous.” “No way is she that funny.” “I am so nervous.” “Dang, I’m sweaty.” “Don’t be an idiot.” Those were just a few things that went through my head when I first met Hallie. Honestly, I was so struck by her (honestly who wouldn’t be). I remember trying to “play it cool” but really was just a jumble of emotions when first meeting her. She was chatty, but in a good way. The way where you know she has a lot to share, and doesn’t mind listening. I knew she was going to be someone important in my life after that first time meeting her, I just hoped she felt the same way.
If you are interested in booking Hunter Kittrell Photography for your Blue Ridge Parkway Engagement Session or Wedding Photos, Contact Me Here!
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