anna maria island engagement session

Ashley and Gaby are engaged! To celebrate this exciting time in their lives, we met at the Don Cesar on St Pete Beach to capture their engagement portraits. These two are so sweet and so much fun, and the iconic pink hotel was the perfect backdrop for this beautiful day.

Ashley and Gaby’s love story began in 2019, when they both attended the same teaching conference. As elementary and middle school teachers, they immediately bonded over their passion for working with kids and helping others. As they got to know each other over the duration of the conference, their connection blossomed and they knew that they had found someone special.

After almost three years together, Gaby popped the question to Ashley. The two were spending the day at Windridge Vineyards in Maryland, surrounded by their closest friends and family. And when the time was right, Gaby dropped to one knee and asked Ashley to spend the rest of their lives together. Their friends and family went crazy with excitement once Ashley said yes, and ran down the grassy field to meet them in the vineyard. Ashley was surprised to see everyone, and they spent the rest of the day celebrating!

Ashley and Gaby live in Washington DC with their pup Noodle, but always envisioned traveling to the sunshine state for their engagement portraits. They decided on the Don Cesar Hotel for its unique architecture and romantic pink tones, which they matched perfectly with their outfits (and the pink sprinkled donuts I brought them as a treat)! As a Sarasota Wedding Photographer, the Don Cesar is one of my favorite places to photograph - and their engagement session is one of my favorites to date! A few weeks before the shoot, Ashley emailed me privately, saying that she would be “proposing” to Gaby with an engagement ring of her own. It was Gaby’s turn! I was so excited, and worked with Ashley to devise a plan for the proposal to take place during the shoot. Once we made our way to the secret spot, Ashley presented Gaby with a handwritten letter and a beautiful engagement ring. The tears were flowing, and this moment just made their engagement session 10x more special!

I had such a great time capturing these precious Don Cesar engagement portraits for Ashley and Gaby. Congratulations again, you two!