Modern & exceptional wedding photography.

This Library of Congress and Supreme Court engagement session was photographed by Michelle Whitley in December 2020. Michelle Whitley is a Supreme Court engagement photographer and Washington, D.C. wedding photographer available for weddings and engagements sessions in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond.

I’m over the moon to be blogging Caroline and Marcel’s sunrise DC engagement session! They will be tying the knot this summer with a lovely Italian-inspired design and cuisine. I absolutely cannot wait to be reignited for the magic that will unfold.

How They Met

“We met during those awkward middle school days. Caroline, the awkward, shy bookworm and Marcel, the outgoing soccer star. In the first few years, we didn’t talk much and were in very different crowds. Then we went to the same high school where our “S” last names always landed us next to each other in the assigned seats. We surprisingly always seemed to make each other laugh. An unlikely friendship blossomed. We knew there was something special in the way we were always joking together.

For freshmen year of college, I went to Penn State for the first semester, and Marcel stayed at University of Maryland and during that time we lost touch. Caroline transferred back to University of Maryland sophomore year and we started hanging out again and became closer than ever. Our friendship grew into more than we ever imagined and we began dating at the end of our junior year of college. We have been together for 7.5 years and were excited to get engaged and married this year. We were disappointed when our destination wedding didn’t happen in 2020, but are looking forward to trying again in 2021.

The Proposal

“We booked a trip to Italy in June 2019 and had been counting down the days. I had been as a kid with my family and Marcel had never been. I was dreaming of Positano on the Amalfi Coast for years. It was a dream destination that we were so excited for!

On our first night there, Marcel booked a special reservation at our hotel’s famous restaurant Il Tridente with a stunning view! Marcel had told the restaurant and staff he planned to propose, so they decorated our table with flower petals and champagne. As soon as we walked in and arrived at our table right, Marcel got down on one knee! I was shocked and couldn’t say yes fast enough. It was truly the happiest, most perfect moment and night ever. Positano and Italy will always have a special place in our hearts, which is how we chose our venue!”

If you enjoyed this DC engagement session, you’ll love Katie & Steve’s Union Station engagement session!

Are you engaged? Learn more about working with me or reach out about wedding photography!