Cylburn Arboretum Engagement Session

Today’s beautiful feature comes along with the sweetest story that has an amusing beginning. Meet the lovely Christina and Ben, along with their daughters Mady and Lucy. As well as their adorable pups Ellie and Zoey! They choose the Cylburn Arboretum for its natural beauty that comes along with hundreds of trees, plant collections, gorgeous gardens and a historic mansion. Ben commented that Christina looked like Cinderella during the engagement session and I couldn’t agree more!

How their story began: “Our journey began with a mutual pair of swipes! We met on the online dating app “Bumble”. We spent a few weeks of messaging back and forth to get to know each other a little more before deciding to meet in person for dinner and drinks. Ben chose to meet at Wayward Smokehouse, a bar in the Federal Hill neighborhood of Baltimore. Ben’s first thought when Christina arrived was how stunning and intimidating she looked in her black leather jacket and skinny jeans. Christina’s first thought was how handsome and tall Ben was (Ben’s pictures online made Ben look short and bald!). Our first date was not picture perfect nor Hollywood scripted. We were quickly intruded on by Ben’s friends, who also happened to be at the bar that day. Ben made every mistake in the book, from splitting the check and taking Christina’s leftovers, to not walking Christina to her car. Despite this, there was a spark and a feeling of genuineness that compelled Christina to find out if there was more there (which luckily there was!). This flawed but sincere start set the tone for a love story full of passion and challenges that we have come to describe as perfectly imperfect.”

Ben & Christina’s Proposal story – In May 2019, they celebrated their second year together with a surprise trip planned by Ben without Christina knowing the destination until they checked into the flight to Nashville, TN at the airport. Ben had coordinated with the hotel staff prior to their arrival so the room was romantically decorated with rose petals, candles, balloons, and a huge banner that read, “Christina, Will You Marry Me” across the window. As they opened the door to the room, Christina read the banner as Ben got down on one knee with a gorgeous, sparkling ring in his hand. A few hotel staff had been hiding in the room to capture pictures of that special moment so they can cherish that memory forever. They then spent the rest of the weekend celebrating their love and the future that lies ahead surrounded by amazing food and music.