Stylish Jefferson Monument Engagement Session | Washington D.C. Engagement Session

Ray and Moudley met in March 2015 at Philadelphie French Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Malden, Massachusetts. They hadn’t seen each other before that day because Moudley lived in Connecticut while he attended graduate school. That Sabbath was his last day in Boston before heading back to university, but from the moment he laid eyes on Ray, he told himself and his friends, that she’s the woman he’d be marrying. After service, Moudley waited with the intention to get Ray’s phone number, but when he saw her, she didn’t seem like the kind of woman who’d be persuaded to give out her number like that, so he asked if it was okay to add her on Facebook instead; which she agreed to. Moudley waited a week to message her, just so I don’t seem too eager to talk to her. But from that day, the pair kept in touch until Moudley came back to Boston in August and asked Ray on a date. Ray wanted to make him wait couple of days before agreeing, but he was really persistent. On August 26, 2015, they eventually went on their first date and even shared a magical first kiss! Now Ray and Moudley are prepping for their big day, but in the meantime, check out their Washington D.C. engagement session, beautifully captured by Terri Baskin Photography.

Bride: Ray-Christele Vernet, 26, Clinical Coordinator
Groom: Moudley Louis-Jean, 30, Biomedical Engineer
Place of residence: Boston, Massachusetts
Engagement Shoot Location: Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington D.C.
Wedding date: 08/27/2018

Engagement story:

On the beautiful morning of August 26, 2017; the day of our second anniversary, he called me and said, “Babe let’s all go out tonight to dinner (that includes my mom and cousin).” I found that weird, but I just played along. Once he got to my apartment, he said that we’ll be taking couple pictures first and then we’ll go to the restaurant. I said sure because we had already started this tradition of anniversary couple portraits the year prior. He brought us to the Tower Hill Botanical Garden, the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen! It could even pass for the Garden of Eden on a smaller scale. So as we were walking and talking and taking pictures, he chose the perfect spot and stopped; as he was telling me how much he loves me, how much I mean to him, he got down on one knee and proposed.

For the Groom: Walk us through the behind the scenes of creating this special day.

It’s something that I thought about for more than a year. I was asked her cousin what she likes, asked people close to her and some of my own friends for ideas. I wanted to figure out how to make it the best experience for her. I Spoke with her mom because I’m old school — I asked for Ray’s hand, and I got her mother’s blessing, which was back in November 2016. I wanted her closest family members to be a part of it, so I waited until her mother came back in Summer 2017 and on our second anniversary, August 26, I called her and told her we’ll go for a walk with her mom and cousin so we could take some pictures. I told her we’d go to dinner after that so she wouldn’t suspect a thing.

We went to the botanical garden in Boylston and got there almost at closing time. As we were walking and talking, I chose the best spot in the garden and I put my Haitian swag on to tell her how much I love her and that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. Then I got down on my knee and proposed. She started screaming “Oh my god, what are you doing? Oh my god, he’s doing it!” Then she jumped into my arms and started crying, then she looked into my eyes and I kissed her. It was the most magical moment of our life so far, until the big day of course.

What makes your love special?

We did not give up on each other when things got tough. We went through a lot of tests and trials, but we were able to get through it all thanks to our faith in god. We were assured by him that our love was meant to be.

What was the theme of your shoot?

We didn’t have a theme per se. Moudley chose Washington D.C. because he went to undergraduate school there and he knew of great monuments we could use as backdrop scenery. I’m happy I obliged because the pictures look absolutely beautiful!

Were there any memorable moments during the shoot?

The entire shoot was memorable. It was a very cold and windy day. I had to wear two different outfits where my back and arms were exposed, but because of all the excitement and having Moudley next to me (who always makes me laugh), I was able to go through the shoot without complaints. It was an amazing day!