Zia & Adam’s Engagement

A post little to do with food and a lot to do with love: a photo shoot for the engagement of two longtime friends, Zia and Adam!

When Zia, one of my closest friends since college, asked if I would take some engagement photos for her and her fiancé Adam, of course I agreed. Since their engagement last January, Zia has been waiting to do a shoot in Riverside Park, across the street from their apartment, while the cherry blossom trees are in bloom. Unfortunately, every day for the past three weeks of optimal blossoms has come with rain and cold. This past Thursday we finally had a beautiful (albeit overcast) day, complete with those gorgeous sweet smelling blossoms and grounds blanketed in powder pink-and-purple. The rain held out for the most part, but a light misting of precipitation in the early evening made for a dreamy and romantic vibe. And following the traditional significance of cherry blossoms as a representation of life’s overwhelming beauty but also its bittersweet fragility, the blossoms were gone almost the very next day.

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As I do with most things, I didn’t think much about the shoot until the time to take the pictures finally came. While packing up my camera gear the night before, I took some time to scroll through the gleaming rings and sun soaked smiling faces of the “engagement photo” search on pinterest. I’ve known Zia and Adam as a couple for the seven-plus years of their relationship (I was there the night that they met), and I’ve known Zia alone for even longer than that. In all that time, I can say this about their relationship: I’ve never seen them as one of those couples plastered on pinterest. Not to say they don’t have a fantastic relationship; they have one of the most sound relationships of anyone I know and have lived together for the past six years. Knowing Zia as well as I do, I can candidly say that anyone willing to live with her must truly love her (haha, sorry Zia), but I never saw them as this super lovey-dovey couple, the kind that kisses in the park and stares adoringly into each other’s eyes.

I disclosed this thought to Zia while we sat in the basement laundry room of her apartment building as she finished her chores before the shoot. I was relived to hear her express a similar sentiment; she told me that her and Adam had laughed over some of the ridiculous engagement photo shoots she had seen online. I just couldn’t imagine them having that same type of typical shoot, and I immediately I felt more comfortable knowing that they didn’t necessarily want those kinds of photos. And it’s just that fact that I think makes these photos so successful; instead of forcing themselves into photos and positions that they didn’t necessarily feel comfortable in, they simply had a fantastic time laughing with each other and with me over the slight ridiculousness that it is to pose for romantic photos in the park while the hustle and bustle of the city roars all around you. You can practically feel the honesty that makes their relationship so beautiful.

I feel like these photos embody that comfort and ease that these two feel with each other, most of all in a shot that is far from typical for an engagement shoot: them laughing next to a trash can overflowing with garbage. Adam insisted we take this photo as his own little retribution for being thrust into the uncomfortable world of engagement photo shoots, but despite it’s less than romantic feeling, this shot actually turned out to be one of my favorites. It is undeniable proof of one of my favorite attributes of Zia and Adam’s relationship: they’re so comfortable with each other that they’re able to laugh at themselves. The rest of the shoot was filled with similar moments, like Zia leaning close to Adam and instead of whispering “I love you,” sensually letting out “chalupa” (we got quite hungry as the shoot wore on, and Adam kept asking us what we were going to do for dinner. We settled on burritos). Or Adam joking about being struck by speeding bikes while they posed along the hudson river, not only the perfect setting for some romantic shots, but also a very popular bike path.

Despite the somewhat unorthodox style of Zia and Adam’s shoot, the pictures came out just as every engagement shoot should: full of honesty, happiness, and undeniable love. I truly am excited to not only photograph but also participate in their upcoming wedding in Maine in September, and to experience the culmination of their planning and organization for their perfect day (I have photography as my hobby, Zia has organization). I wish these two all the best, and I can’t wait to celebrate with them in a few months!