Happy Spring, friends! I love this time of the year when the air warms up and the flowers and trees start blooming! So when Angela suggested taking engagement photos at Atlanta National Golf Club in the spring, I knew it’d be absolutely beautiful! In addition to be a gorgeous spot that Angela & Piyush frequent when they play golf together, Angela’s grandfather was also the president of Atlanta National when she was a kid! I loved that we were able to feature a few of her favorite spots around the course and loved hearing sweet childhood memories tied to this iconic location! Angela and Piyush are so joyful and genuine! We had such a fun afternoon, and I can’t wait for their wedding at the Hotel at Avalon in September!
Their Story – “Angela and Piyush both work for the same company. They both knew who the other person was but they never really interacted on a social level until the the office Christmas party in December 2015. In the months that followed, they played on the company softball team together and got to know each other a little more outside of work. There is a monthly event in the summer in Roswell called Alive After Five that Angela loves – there is just something great about the atmosphere on Canton Street when they close off the street. Angela always goes and invited Piyush to come meet her and few of her friends for drinks. She didn’t actually think he would show up but he did! It was the first time they spent any real time together without the undertones of work. Shortly afterward, Angela left for Europe for two weeks which left her wondering what might happen when she returned to home. Fortunately, her return was just a few days before the next Alive After Five. During a quick hallway conversation at the office, they decided to meet up there again. Piyush met Angela and her friends once again (his ability to not look uncomfortable in a group of strangers still shocks Angela). As the group was parting ways for the night, the two decided to stay out. Before the night was over, Angela knew that Piyush was something special.”
“Their love story is really just an organic path of both of them deciding to take one leap together and then another and then another. Angela couldn’t tell you when she knew Piyush was the one because it wasn’t a choice or decision – it just was. Piyush thought there was something about Angela that was different from other girls; something unexplainable. The more he knew her, the more he wanted to know her until he knew she was the one.”
Angela, what is it about Piyush that you love the most? – “It’s hard to pick what I love the most about Piyush! I love his genuine spirit, the way he just gets all my nonsense, and how we balance each other in so many ways. But if I have to pick what I love the most, it is probably his sense of humor. It’s strange, hilarious, and completely unique to him. He isn’t a prankster or a comedian but he manages to make me laugh every day. Half the time it makes me wonder what is going through is brain to even come up with these things. As with all my favorite things about him, it’s not something that he has to try to do or work on, it’s just an integral part of who he is. Really, he is just goofy, but so am I, so it’s perfect.”
Piyush, what is it about Angela that you love the most? – “I just love the way she is – bossy and also caring about others needs. Sometimes she is stubborn but also sensitive to others’ feelings. We have come a long way with our strong personalities, but what I love the most is how she makes me a better person everyday. It feels like home every time I’m with her. She will give you the most honest opinion if you ask for her advice; that’s what sets her apart and I love that about her. Her Irish blue eyes always get me if we are deciding on who wins the argument on silly stuff. Best of all, she somehow goes along (makes her laugh) with the completely unexplained, weird things my brain comes up with – silly stuff I say or do. I guess it’s her goofiness that gets it.”
About the Proposal – Piyush: Part of my plan for when I would propose to Angela was to have a small get together with our friends right after I popped the question. When I reached out to a few of her friends, they asked if I had any plans for someone to take secret pictures of the big moment. I didn’t, they offered to, and, looking back, I’m glad they did. I decided to ask Angela to marry me at the Roswell Mill because that’s where we went on our first date. I had scoped out locations and set it all up with her friends and her sister so they could get there early and possibly (hopefully) clear people off the bridge. The plan was set to essentially trick Angela on to the bridge that Friday on, what she believed, was a fun dinner date on Canton Street.
Angela: Piyush had planned a fun date for Friday evening but work was not cooperating. I’m fortunate that if all my work is done, I can leave a little early on Fridays. It was a beautiful July day and I was ready to go home, but I had one last call to be on that day. My boss decided that neither one of us needed to be in the office for it and he suggested that I take the call from Starbucks then head home. It was an excellent suggestion, so one hour, and a massive cappuccino, later, I was heading home to get ready. Piyush was already at my house by the time I got there and had Chick-fil-a waiting for me! (I get “hangry” in a real way) He had told me earlier that the restaurant had pushed our reservation due to a mix up but he wanted to still leave as planned to stop by the Roswell Mill and take some pictures to send to his mom in India. So after the best timed snack ever, I went to get ready.
Piyush: While Angela was getting ready, I was group texting with her friends and her sister to make sure this all goes off without a hitch. As soon as we left the house to head to the Mill, there was a huge, dark cloud looming right over where we were headed- rain was in the forecast for the next hour. I was quickly trying to think of other options to convince her to get down to the bridge but thankfully the weather held off. When we got to the Mill, it was still sunny and beautiful so we were going ahead with the original plan. I had trouble coming up with a way to get the ring box down to where we were going without Angela noticing (she’s a little too observant sometimes). I managed to convince her that my mom had sent her a gift and that I was going to take her picture when she opened it. In reality, the box had a gift and the ring in it.
Angela: I did not understand why we needed to bring down this box to take a picture, but finally I just agreed to it. As we were walking down to the bridge, I remember thinking that it was so empty for such a nice day. We get down to the entrance of the bridge and Piyush really wanted to go ON TO THE BRIDGE. I thought that was such a silly idea because there are always people on the bridge and I didn’t want them in the picture. So I picked a spot just off to the side where you could see the water and foliage was nice and green – great for a picture. I pulled my gift out of the box and handed it back to Piyush (which I later found out, was where the ring was. It was in my hands and I didn’t even know!). It was a small desk calendar that was set to October and had my birthday circled. When he told me to go to the next page, it was his birthday. The third page had the date we started dating circled. When I flipped to the fourth page, it was July 2017 and the 14th (“today” at the time) had a heart around it and drawn off to the side was an engagement ring. I was completely stunned! I look up at Piyush and he is down on his knee asking me to marry him. I started to laugh and to cry; for once in my life I was COMPLETELY speechless. In fact, all I could do was nod when he finished his little speech. It’s one of our jokes now that I never actually said yes. While all of this was happening, my friends and my sister were filming the whole thing and taking pictures. AND a random guy with a guitar who happened to see what was going on came over and started playing for us! It was absolutely wonderful and again, a TOTAL surprise when Piyush told me to turn around and see who was here. After more crying, laughing, and pictures, they all declared it was time for phase two.
Piyush: Phase two was the party I had planned at one of the bars on Canton Street. I had invited our friends and her family to all come and have a drink with us to celebrate. It was a great way to kick off the our engagement.
Congratulations, Angela & Piyush! Can’t wait to capture your big day in September!
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