Have you ever met two strangers on a Tuesday for coffee in the dark? Me either, until I met Cait & Zach. Looking back, the story of how we met makes me giggle and as I started concocting this blog post, I knew I had to share it.

I meet with most all my couples as they begin of their wedding planning process! It’s one of my favorite parts of the entire experience as a Whitley B. Bride. I love hearing their stories, sharing laughs, and dreaming with them about their big day. It’s just easy on the heart!

Caitlyn, Zach & I planned to meet in August in the heat of my busiest month! I repeat, my busiest. These were weeks where I found myself wandering through fields and forests more often than I ever found myself bee lining for the shower. I’m talking man buns & pony tails to get me through… You feel me? The only time I was able to meet with my wedding clients was after my sessions, which also meant after sunset.. In the dark. Which is no biggy, when you’re in a perfectly lit coffeeshop, right? Right.

Rewinding to a few hours before we met, I had two back to back Senior sessions down in Minneapolis. By the end of the first, I noticed a strange glossiness on my contact in my eye and thought they might be drying out. Pushing the thought to the back of my mind, I just kept shooting. By the end of my second senior session of the night, my eyes were full on burning, bright red, and watering non stop. I remember driving back to the suburbs and having to squeeze my eyes open and shut every few seconds just to keep my eyes on the road. Something was not right!

I didn’t want to bail on C & Z, so I quick ran home to change into my glasses before wandering meeting up with them. I should add, the corner of my glasses are completely chewed up from my angel pup, Lucy. “Presentable” was the saddest excuse of a word I could find to describe what I was when we met that day! I didn’t think too much of the glasses though, I was just ready to get the coffee! Eyes still bloodshot & burning, I walked into the coffee shop and every table was taken. I’m talking occupied, queue all the people reading books, playing cards, studying for tests, and catching up with their long lost friend from 7 years ago. Nobody was moving anytime soon.

The only table left was outside  of the coffee shop. In the pitch dark. Black as can be. Because it was night time. In walk Zach & Cait, I guess we’re taking it!

I couldn’t have asked for two better people to have walked into that coffeeshop that day. They weren’t even phased by the fact that we could hardly see one another or that the only thing illuminating our meeting was my almost dying MacBook. They didn’t seem to care too much about the pretty or the perfect. This all came full circle when I asked the two of them how they first met… You will NEVER guess. Are you ready for this one folks?

Zach asked Caitlyn on their first dance behind a dumpster. You heard right. Dumpster. And behind a dumpster, Caitlyn said yes and found her future husband. So as the story goes, in the black of night, outside of an all too crowded coffee shop, they said yes to their wedding photographer (who loves them so much)!!