Tanaya and James met at Echostage in Washington DC, in which neither of them at that time could have possibly dreamed that they would be meeting their soulmate and life partner. But what a wonderful surprise life offers when you least expect it.

The couple planned a vacation to Mexico for a friend’s birthday, where they were scheduled for a photoshoot the last day of their trip.  They were looking to recreate a photo they had spontaneously taken a year before.

After an afternoon excursion, they were preparing for the special shoot. When Tanaya felt they had achieved the look they were going for, she said “I think we have enough pictures” and James immediately said “One more!”.  He grabbed Tanaya’s hand and turned her around, so she could find him romantically kneeling on one knee as the sunset.  Tanya cried tears of overwhelming joy and of course, said “YES!” She describes her proposal as absolutely “perfect“.

When asked what three words would describe their relationship, the newly engaged couple responded,

“Supportive, Loving, and Fun— Supportive because we are each other’s biggest fans.  Loving simply because we love hard.  Fun because we like to enjoy life to the fullest. We love to travel, laugh and explore what God has put here for us. We can also be pretty silly and that always makes for a fun time [with] lots of laughs”

Tanaya and James are looking forward to this new chapter in their lives and are excited to start their lives together.

When asked, “Do you have any tips you’d like to share with newly engaged couples?” they advised to take it slow and plan on pre-marital counseling.  

Tanaya, bride-to-be, also advises to keep in mind that there will be many opinions but the one that truly matters is that of yours and your fiancé’s and it’s important to stay true to that. I couldn’t agree more!! Love this advice!

 

Tanya and James enjoy most things together, like reading, watching movies, and working out. They especially love being silly with eachother and dancing.

Tanya says that her favorite part of being engaged is enjoying the bridal functions and shows, she says, “It’s all about the bride and I just eat it up!” I mean, seriously, it’s such an exciting time, and what bride doesn’t love being spoiled?

This beautiful couple is planning to celebrate their wedding October 7th at the historic Mainstream Ballroom. I’m certainly looking forward to their big day!