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Inspiration » sarah anne photography » Joy Proposal Story: Karina & Max

Joy Proposal Story: Karina & Max

by Cali Pitchel

How did the two of you meet?

Karina walked into a party wearing a huge backpack (she had a long trip from work) to find herself as the only girl. Despite a few more arrivals, she decided to merge the party with an unknown one down the hall. Even though she didn’t quite manage to spell my name right in her phone (as it remains today), the night was the start of a great friendship. The next summer, we bravely ventured into the wilderness with one friend and 18 random strangers. The weekend was a thrill, from grilling to floating down the Potomac to telling ghost stories. Not only did we meet 18 new friends, but also Karina and I became best friends. A year later, we went on our first date, eating dinner at Graffiato and visiting the Lincoln Memorial. Thankfully, she agreed to a second date. Many adventures later, we are excited to be celebrating our wedding!

The happiness and love that we feel by being together now and for the rest of our life, is superior.

Give us the proposal details! When? Where? How?

A few weeks before the proposal, Max began recommending that we visit Dumbarton Oaks. He mentioned that the grounds were near Georgetown and had “an art museum and nice gardens” – both of which he knew I would love. On Saturday, June 10th, Max returned home from soccer and suggested that it would be a perfect day to go to visit Dumbarton Oaks, and I agreed. After walking around the art museum (which was larger than Max had expected) for a couple of hours, we walked to the gardens right before the place was about to close. Max led me to his first potential proposal spot (The Pebble Garden), but someone was unfortunately, doing an Instagram Photoshoot. So, we walked to a trellised lane further into the garden. At the end of the path, he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. While I obviously was going to say yes, instead I exclaimed, “OMG, are you serious?” and about 40-seconds after, Max said: “So, is that a yes?” – “YES!” Then, we got bubble tea and ate at &pizza. The end… or the beginning 😉

What has been your favorite experience planning the wedding?

We’ve loved reflecting on our love story and the unique parts of our relationship while creating our Joy site. Also, getting to collaborate with friends and family on how to make our special day one to remember is such a treat.

 

How do you stay sane under the pressures of wedding planning?

I practice yoga, which definitely helps me stay relaxed throughout the process. Dark chocolate also helps!

What is your favorite part of using Joy for your wedding?

The user interface is very friendly! I enjoy how customizable every page is, and there are the perfect amount of features.

What piece of advice would you give couples to ensure that they use Joy to its fullest potential?

After signing into Joy for the first time, I clicked on every possible button to see what my options were, getting the lay of the land, and I would definitely recommend doing that in order to see all the amazing things that Joy provides!

At Joy we believe that even though a wedding lasts a day, joy lasts forever. What does that mean to you?

We’re spending nearly a year perfecting our wedding day, but the happiness and love that we feel by being together now and for the rest of our life, is superior.

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