It was fairly inevitable for Devhan and Steve to have a mountain-centric wedding, from their engagement session to their actual big day. The pair had a long-distance relationship for the majority of the time in regards to Steve’s career with the Marine Corps. Whenever the two were able to take some much-needed time together, they spent it in the regality of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Frequent hike trips were a necessity for them and who could blame them? One look at their session photos with Brittany Lowe Photography and you’ll get those heart eyes for the views, too.
How did you meet?
Stephen and I met in 2017 through our best friends, who are married to each other! Stephen had just returned home from deployment with the Marine Corps, and I was graduating nursing school. We were both supposed to be in our friend’s wedding as a bridesmaid and groomsman, and funnily enough, both had to miss the wedding due!
They had invited us each over for dinner one night, and we immediately hit it off! The day after we met, I asked my best friend to get him to dinner at their house next week too… and what started as weekly “family dinners” turned into our fun and joyous relationship!
What is your proposal story?
We have been long distance for our whole relationship- Stephen in Stafford, and myself in Charlottesville. Throughout our relationship, we would meet up at Old House Winery halfway between the two of us in Culpeper! It was a nice way to see each other for an afternoon, enjoy a bottle of wine and some sunshine, and also where he said “I love you” for the first time.
One day in October, the friends that introduced us suggested a fall day outside, and decided upon Old House Winery. We spent several hours eating from food trucks, playing games, and drinking wine. We were about to leave for the day, and wanted to take a photo in the vines before we left. Stephen lead me down the vines for a “photo op”, where he had hidden a poem he had written in the vines. The first letter of each line spelled out “WILL YOU BE MY WIFE?”, and then he asked me to spend forever together! It was the most perfect day!
Tell us about the ring/band.
The engagement ring is from Gabriel&Company and is the style ‘Megan’. The primary diamond is a round 1.5 carat diamond, with 0.3 carat diamonds on either side. It is set in a 14k white gold ring.
What’s your biggest piece of advice for other couples planning a mountain wedding?
We chose to have our engagement photos in the Blue Ridge Mountains because it’s such a special place for us. I went to college in the Shenandoah Valley, and Stephen and I frequently hike in the mountains during our long-distance relationship. The view was so romantic and whimsical! Our wedding will be in Bluemont, Virginia, at the base of the upper end of the Blue Ridge Mountains, so it seemed like the perfect spot.
Our biggest advice if you’re planning on having your photos done in the mountains is to plan for a hike. We both wore comfortable shoes for the walk to the top- WELL worth it! Trying to walk uphill and outdoors in high heels would have taken away from the fun of our photo shoot.
Our photographer was also AMAZING. We have nothing but incredible things to say about her. She suggested starting our hike early to make sure we got to the top with enough time for golden hour, and WOW did her vision turn out perfectly. The light was so warm and bright, and the timing of it all made the entire top of the mountain coated in the sunset.