Renee and Lawrence met me out at Casa Feliz for their engagement session in Winter Park, Florida. My sweethearts wanted a mix of the downtown Winter Park vibe along with a dapple of photos at their soon to be wedding venue for their engagement session.
Renee and Lawrence actually met during their senior year of college at the University of Buffalo in October of 2008 at a local bar. Lawrence didn’t know at the time, but Renee had seen him around campus and after a little ‘liquid courage’ struck up the nerve to walk over to him and introduce herself and ask for a dance. Lawrence being the big teddy bear that he is, continued the conversation with Renee and found out quickly that the two had so much in common, like growing up only two blocks (how crazy – just two blocks!) away from one another in the Bronx. The two exchanged numbers, but Renee being a little nervous got to the best of her and she said to him that she didn’t think he would call, because he was a football player, aka jock, at their school, but he did. I have to just pause a moment and say Renee you are quite the catch and Lawrence would have been NUTS to not make that call!
The two fell madly in love with one another and a romance soon ensued. Renee admires “how compassionate and genuinely nice Lawrence is.” Truly an amazing guy, Lawrence is a teacher, social worked, and coach to at risk students in low income areas. As Renee explains it, his career “isn’t an easy task, but he is patient and never gives up on them.” Lawrence knew right away what he loved most about his darling, quite simply he puts it “she always knows how to get the best out of me.” True love is so much more than just the idea of love, it is what comes with it, which is lifting one another up to be a better person for yourself and the ones you love.
Engagement pictures during the holiday season are very reminiscent as a little ode to their proposal. During their Christmas vacation last year while visiting the Dominican Republic, Lawrence took Renee to meet up with her family at a restaurant that Renee’s parents visited often before she was born. Sitting down at their table, Renee noticed one of the napkin holders had a sign in it saying “Baby will you marry me?” Renee looked at Lawrence as he got down on one knee and took out the most beautiful ring. As Renee reminisces, “he didn’t say anything because I wasn’t supposed to see the napkin holder so quickly, so I kind of caught him off guard, but I immediately said yes!”
With the holidays being such an important part of Renee and Lawrence’s lives with their proposal, engagement, and date of their wedding all taking place during the holiday season, I asked my sweethearts what they love most about spending this time of year together. With the two having recently moved to Tampa from New York, they tend to get a little homesick. However by reliving traditions they both had growing up, like making certain foods and drinks, it helps being the holiday cheer back. On an exciting note though, they will both get to see their families in Virginia and New York as they make the journey home for the holidays and as Renee happily notes, the two will “actually have a cold Christmas!”
Venue: Casa Feliz
