He knew right away she was “the one”! She was gorgeous, smart and fun probably not what he was expecting when he agreed to be setup with her by his coworker Paige’s dad. It is so refreshing to hear a story like theirs in our modern day age of technology where people google each other before a first date. I’m sure they were both a bit skeptical when Mr. Phillips suggested they attend a company holiday party together. But he knew what he was doing and not many girls can say now that their Dad picked the perfect man for them to marry!
Paige said that everything was so fun and natural from that first meeting. They could spend all day together like they were best friends even though they had just met. She loves that he is a gentleman and takes good care of her. Together they love to travel and frequently come up to the Northern Neck area in Virginia to Paige’s parents river house where we did their engagement session. Funny story but when we did our 10 day sailboat cruise on the Chesapeake in July I waved and tagged Paige on Instagram in a photo of us going by their river house :).
Paige and Matt were so easy to work with, they are head over heels in love and that is my favorite type of couple :)! Paige planned everything beautifully! I was really relying on her expertise of the area to come up with great locations and she knocked it out of the park. Paige also introduced me to gold sparkle Sperry’s which I immediately ordered when I got home!
Matt took us out on boat over to a sandbar area with a beautiful view of where the Potomac River meets the Chesapeake Bay. It was so much fun to be on this little “island” with sandy beaches and water all around. Definitely a unique location for me! We finished our session with dinner at Merrior a seafood restaurant right on the water. Paige’s parents joined us and I had so much fun getting to know everyone and learn more about what it’s like to be a boat pilot which was a term I was not familiar with before. My only point of reference was the movie Captain Phillips but that is just what Matt and Mr. Phillips do, they pilot big cargo ships into the Galveston Channel. We chatted about boats and sailing since I know a bit about that subject ;). I joked that docking our sailboat was hard I can’t imagine docking a huge cargo ship!
I can’t wait for their wedding next May at The Tides Inn! I know it will be beautiful and I’m excited to be with this family documenting such a special time in their lives. For now enjoy some gorgeous photos of a super sweet couple!
Melissa Arlena is an award winning lifestyle newborn photographer in Charlottesville and Richmond, Virginia who has earned her Master Photographer Certification from NAPCP in maternity, newborn and family photography. Her natural and simple work has been featured in magazines and online blogs worldwide. She has been named Best Maternity and Newborn Photographer in Richmond and Charlottesville, VA in 2024.