Erica & Gavin

How They Met

We worked together for 3 years at an advertising agency before we started dating.  We worked on projects together and even sat next to each other for a year but were both dating other people at the time.  We didn’t start dating until Erica had moved to Portland for a new job, so it became a long distance relationship after years of working in the same building and sitting next to each other.

The Proposal

I thought about proposing on a trip to Africa, but as it came closer the idea of carrying a diamond abroad and keeping it hidden sounded worse and worse. So I took the chance on our only free night leading up to the trip.

We were getting ready to leave for a trip on a Friday AM and that week had been busy with work and packing so I knew Thursday was the time. I took the day off and after dropping Erica off at work I set up the house with dozens of candles all around our bedroom and bought rose petals to put all over. When I went to pick her up at the end of the day she had had a stressful day at work and on top of that was developing an ear infection. She was not in the best mood, but waiting wasn’t an option and I had everything set up at home.  Erica made a doctor’s appointment in order to get medicine before our international flight, right during the dinner reservation I had made. Nonetheless the first part of the plan was intact. We got home and I ran upstairs to light the candles while she called her mom. She came upstairs and everything went great from there. We were the happiest people in the doctor’s waiting room.

The Engagement Session

We knew our wedding would be in Denver since that is where Erica’s family is and it is where we met.  However, Portland has become our own town where the two of us were able to start our relationship and where we got engaged.  We wanted to have Portland be a part of the wedding in some way and the beauty of this city on a sunny day in the spring made an engagement photo session a perfect location.  Our house is situated in the middle of a beautiful park so we were able to take the majority of pictures just by walking out of our front door.  We also went downtown to take a few of what ended up being our favorite pictures, in front of a famous ‘Portland’ sign in the theater district.

The Engagement Ring

I knew Erica wanted a classic, simple ring and we had discussed the shape of the stone but I wasn’t sure on the setting.  I talked with her sister about what she would want and then was referred to a jeweler by a friend who had recently proposed. I picked out the stone separately from the setting and chose a simple setting to propose with, with the intention that we could pick out a specific setting together after the fact.  However, Erica loved the simplicity and wanted to keep the band as is!

The Photographer

Robin from Robin Cain Photography

“I was so honored to be able to capture such intimate moments of Erica and Gavin in their new home of Portland. Their front yard was basically a photographers dream. From the colorful rose gardens, fern filled parks and cute downtown streets, everyplace we wondered to ended up being a magical backdrop to display the love they share for each other!”