NMJ Lovers
NMJ Lovers | Peyton and Jon
Peyton and Jon recently shared with us their love story, captured and treasured for the past seven years with their shared love for photography and film. Their engagement was of course captured as one of these special moments, from Polaroids to Super 8 film, a personal and nostalgic moment they have so beautifully shared and put into words below...
How did you both meet?
Jon and I met in high school through our cross country running team! We began dating when we were 16 years old and have been best pals since. It’s now been 7 years, and we couldn’t be more stoked to get married! A large bulk of our relationship has been at a distance, so the small, simple and mundane moments mean the most to us. I think it’s so special that we’ve really grown up together; our personalities and lives, both as individuals as well as a collective relationship, have evolved in so many ways over the years. We treasure our history together immensely!
Share your engagement story with us and how you incorporated your love of film into the proposal
We were in California to photograph my cousins wedding, but were first visiting our best friends, Hannah and Cole, (whom are also incredible photographers and videographers)! We only get to see them a few times a year, so whenever we get together, we like to jam pack all our favorite things into our visits! We all love to shoot film during personal ventures, so whenever we get together, we look a little ridiculous collectively with all of our 10 film cameras, haha. But, I love it so much and wouldn’t have it any other way. We are so grateful to have found Hannah and Cole, whom are just as appreciative and passionate about the same things in this life, one of them being documenting precious memories via film.
Preserving memories on something tangible has so much more power than doing so on an iPhone. You not only have a tangible physical copy, but you feel more present and intentional while taking the photograph. Growing up in a military family, polaroids and film were also one of my families main sources of communication with my dad when he was deployed. I think that’s where my love for this medium originated, so it has a very personal and nostalgic feeling to me. Jon and I continued to document ventures and day-to-day life in this way, and it’s one of my favourite things about us. Another favourite thing of ours to do is look at old photographs of our parents and families — our kids are gonna have shoe boxes on shoe boxes of photos from our life to look through, and that makes me so dang happy. You can always find some sort of 35 mm film camera, disposable, or my dads vintage Polaroid (most likely all 3) on us. The little mundane moments matter so much to Jon and I, and deserve to be documented and remembered!
On the second day of the trip, Hannah, Cole, and Jon planned a little picnic day at Point Reyes. We stopped to get donuts for brunch in Santa Rosa, headed to pick up some tacos for lunch, picked a few more little snacks at the local market in town, and made our way towards the coast! We hiked up a trail to find our picnic spot, which we soon got kicked out of by a heard of cows. No worries though, because we found an even better view/picnic spot up the meadow! Surrounded by wildflowers near the coast, with views for miles, we had us the best little picnic. The late morning sun/winds, and company were divine. After a few hours, we wanted to snap a few photos of each other, & in the midst of this, Jon proposed. Hannah and Cole are some major angels and caught it on literally every single camera medium?! Later that day we drove to Coles grandparents cabin in the mountains, where we ate pizza and jammed to their vintage records. It was truly the most perfect day.
What does marriage mean to you?
To us, marriage means trusting in each other, sharing life, decisions, hardships, and joys together, always. To grow with in friendship — to be each others dearest friends, and deepest loves.
Jon, what was the most important thing for you to consider when choosing Peyton's engagement piece?
I had known for a while that a yellow gold ring would be the best fit for Peyton, as it matches her style. The stone was the harder piece to figure out. Neither of us love diamonds, but finding a nice ring that isn’t diamond is hard to do, too! Natalie Marie had such a wide selection of non-traditional rings, and made choosing a ring fun and simple. So thankful that I was able to find this beautiful Petite Precious Tourmalinated Quartz Ring that she loves so much, and to also mention fits her perfectly!
Peyton, what was your reaction when you saw your engagement piece for the first time?
I couldn’t stop staring! I never pictured myself with a diamond, so this charcoal quartz ring couldn’t have been more perfect for me. I am completely in love with the dark colour and raw look. I’m going to be wearing my great grandmothers gold etched wedding band that was made in the 1930’s, and it pairs more beautifully than I could’ve imagined.
Being from Virginia, how and when did you first come across Natalie Marie Jewelery?
We found Natalie Marie Jewellery through instagram a few years ago, and fell in love/have been following along since! We adore how timeless, vintage inspired, and simple the jewellery is. I also thought it was lovely and unique how you guys had non-diamond ring options.
What are you most looking forward to on your wedding day?
We are most excited to be married, and celebrate with our closest family and friends! I am wedding photographer myself, so it’s super exciting to be able to experience this end of things.
PC: @hannahsheaphoto