Engagement Session at The Foundry | Gina + Hunter

Engagements

March 29, 2018

I can hardly believe that in a just over a week Gina + Hunter’s WEDDING DAY will finally be here!! To celebrate their last few days as fiancés, I am blogging some of my favorites from their Engagement Session at The Foundry!

Any JMU fans out there? Gina was leading YoungLife with Hunter’s best guy friend and they both ran in similar circles of friend groups during their time at James Madison University – they were bound to meet sometime.

Sweetly enough, Hunter + Gina first met at Bruster’s Ice Cream in Harrisonburg! After that, each of them spent the entire next semester secretly doing their best to cross paths with their crush. Any excuse to be in the same room or attend the same friend events, they were mutually sneaky at attempting to NOT to make it obvious.

Gina had mentioned to Hunter that she was going to try and sell her car stereo to a local pawn shop and he offered to go with her. Little did Gina know that the car stereo was too broken to sell, but Hunter apparently knew the whole time!

He just wanted an excuse to hang out with her! After an unsuccessful pawn shop experience, the two went to coffee and talked for HOURS – Gina said she even accidentally missed class!

When Hunter finally dropped Gina off at home, he asked her out on a real date. Very smooth, Hunter!

Their first date was actually on April 5th, 2015 — and their wedding date is April 6TH!

The Proposal:

July 4th of last year, Hunter picked Gina up at her house for their planned date. When Gina got in the car, she noticed there was a blind fold on her seat.“…honestly I didn’t think anything of it. I didn’t want to get my hopes up..”

After a quick ride, Hunter stopped the car and asked Gina to stay blindfolded. She didn’t get suspicious until that moment when she started to realize that this might be really happening.

Hunter lead his bride-to-be through grass and over stones, finally pausing when they got to a level area. Gina says she was shaking as Hunter let go of her hands momentarily to quickly set up a GoPro!

“Once I took the blindfold off, Hunter was down on one knee asking me to marry him. We were at the Lodge, a special building that is a part of Hope Church where we attend. Hunter explained to me that he brought me there because this was a place in Richmond that we both knew, a place that symbolized home for us because we are both transplants. He explained that Hope and the church represented everything we wanted to build our life on– the truth of Jesus.“

“After Hunter told me this, we prayed for the first time together. This was really special because prayer was always something we saw as a sacred part of our personal relationships with Jesus, and now we got to share in this together for the first time as a couple.”

“Gina is the most God-fearing woman I know. She has a tenacity and eagerness to know the Lord more and more each day, and it is quite contagious. She is so aware of how others are feeling, and wants to walk alongside people in both the joys and sadness of life.

She cares for people so well, whether she has known you for life or just met you and she is a go-to person for so many. Gina also has such an adventurous spirit. I am fairly calculated, well actually very calculated in that I don’t often break routines. Her desire for adventure is SO special to me because it brings out a better side of me.

She is so much fun! I think her zeal for getting the most out of life is so attractive. I don’t know anybody that can squeeze as much out of 24 hours, all while getting in at least 3 meals, a workout, and 8 hours of sleep – trust me, she needs her 8!

She is a unique hybrid of 50/50 emotions and logic. She thinks everything through, but trusts her heart and gut with the final decision. Lastly, but certainly not least, she’s beautiful! No details necessary there, I mean c’mon!!“

“I was attracted to the freedom Hunter had to be himself. He is wild in the best way possible, always striving to be more of who God created him to be. He is so full of life. Whether that’s figuring out ways to love me better, going duck hunting because he knows he gets refreshed by the outdoors, or sharing his life with others around him through normal day-to-day life, he is fully aware of who he is & what is important. This freedom he has to be himself has stemmed from his relationship with Jesus and it was contagious, something I couldn’t get enough of.”

Hunter and I are not perfect people. We don’t desire to complete each other, because we know that is impossible. We just desire to bring each other one step closer each and every day to loving more like Jesus and to experience the inner workings of grace through the covenant of marriage.

One of my favorite things about Hunter is that he doesn’t take life to seriously. He knows that there is more to life then what is presently here on earth, and it is for that very reason that he is able to forgive readily. I love is candor and his straight forwardness, but also his ability to be comforting and tender hearted.

Hunter would tell you that he thought I was the most God- fearing woman he’d ever met…‘not a bad fear, a healthy one’ as he would say. It sounds cheesy and was not a compliment I had ever given myself, but hey, he put a ring on it 😉 “

We are smitten with them, their love for Jesus, this beautiful session… All of it!

Gina + Hunter,

I just am so blown away by you guys, your love for each other, and how deeply-rooted in Jesus you are going to start your marriage!! You both are so genuine and loving; your relationship is one I am so thankful to witness! I know you’re both SO READY for this day to be here so you can just be married already!! The countdown is on!! Sam and I can’t wait to celebrate the start of your epic marriage… SOON! and then cheer you on forever 🙂

Love,

The Tuckers

DETAILS:

Venue | The Foundry

Photography | The Tuckers Photography

Church Mentioned | Hope Church

About The Author

Petie Tucker

Petie Tucker is the wife half of the Tuckers Photography team. Based in Richmond, Virginia, she travels all over her beautiful home state to photograph love and families in all seasons.

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