Nikki & Zach // Malibu Engagement Session
The future Mr. & Mrs. Castro have a love story for the ages.
Zach and Nikki grew up in the same city & attended the same high school. Somehow, they never met or knew about one another. Well, 12 years after they graduated, the two connected on Instagram. Nikki SLID INTO ZACH’S DMs… and the rest is sort of history. Lesson 1: Be bold. Slide into the DMs. You may be messaging your future husband.
The two began talking over Instagram, and while living in different states, they started chatting more on the phone and doing Bible studies together. What began as a casual DM conversation turned into texting.. which turned into phone calls.. which turned into FaceTime calls. 2.5 months after they began talking, the couple met in person.
They chose to meet up at BJ’s restaurant while Zach was visiting in California. Zach laid eyes on Nikki as he walked in, and the first words out of his mouth upon seeing her were “there she is.” They hit it off instantly, having gotten to know each other so well from afar, and their connection was palpable. Their love may be the second-best thing to ever originate at BJ’s… as Pizookies are my one true love. ;) Lesson 2: Where Pizookies happen, love will blossom. (lol)
Their first *official* date was the following Saturday—it began with a picnic, then they had their first in-person Bible study, then they moved on to Dave n Busters, and then concluded with sushi for dinner. Safe to say.. it was the first date that dreams are made of. Before the couple parted ways that weekend, they said they loved each other. Their union seemed like it was carefully arranged by the stars, and they were hopelessly in love from the get. Lesson 3: If your date lasts a whole day, you may be hanging with your soulmate.
Several months later, after strengthening their relationship long-distance from California & Texas, Nikki was ready to move to Houston with Zach. the couple embarked on a road trip to relocate, and on the way, Zach got down on one knee and asked Nikki to be his wife! The proposal was at a random park, as they were driving with a dog & had to give it some fresh air, but it was absolutely perfect—Zach even managed to find a stranger to take a few photos of them as he got down on one knee. The guy taking pictures had NO idea. Lesson 4: If you propose at a random park on a road trip, ask an unsuspecting stranger to take pictures so you’ll have the mems!
Well, that brings us to now. And this is just the beginning of what I know will be a lifetime of love, laughter, shared faith, and beautiful adventures for this couple. Their hearts are as big as their smiles, their joy is absolutely contagious, and I felt SO blessed to spend some time with them down in Malibu (WITH CARDI B.) to take their engagement photos. Literally—when we arrived, 4 seconds after we began shooting, I looked over and went “OH that’s Cardi B.” I was starstruck.. and if you look at Cardi’s Instagram from her time at the beach (click here if you dare) I hope you’ll laugh as hard as I did. A BIT of a different energy than this wholesome God-fearing couple’s engagement shoot ;) but amazing because we couldn’t stop cracking up about it the whole time.
I am so grateful to have met Zach a few years ago at his family’s gym, and am now stoked to call both him and Nikki friends. I can’t wait to see how STUNNING this couple’s wedding is in December, and to keep up with the future Castros as they begin their new life as husband & wife.
Z & N, I love you guys more than Cardi loves Offset. And that’s a fact.
