July 1, 2022

Alissa & Paul 10/2/2021

“Distance means so little, when someone means so much.” – Tom McNeal

He slid into her DM’s…

Alissa and Paul met in a very 21st-century way. “Paul started following me on Instagram after a picture of me came up on his ‘explore page’. I had gone to brunch in NYC and somehow that made me pop up on his feed. We followed each other for about a year and he tried starting a conversation with me before I moved to VA, the timing was off and I thought he looked like trouble so as he loves to tell people ‘I left him on read in the Dm’s’.”

It could have ended there, for many DM slides, it does. But, Instagram had other plans… “Fast forward to a year later, a picture of his came up on my feed and I liked it and went back and liked some of his other pictures too. He saw that I liked a bunch of pictures, mildly panicked, and then he Dm’ed me again just saying ‘what’s goin on’. Honestly once we started talking we just never stopped. It went from Dm’s to texts to phone calls to Facetimes and when I came home to NY around Christmas time, we went out and we just knew.”

“We were inseparable. I had sworn off long-distance because I thought it was a setup for trust issues and disappointment but for an entire year he drove EVERY OTHER WEEKEND from Brooklyn to Lynchburg just to spend one day with me. He moved down here after that and then a year later he proposed…”

The Engagement

Paul proposed on September 28, 2019, in Alissa & Paul’s living room. Alissa told us that Paul decorated the whole apartment. The couple already had a big dinner celebration planned for that evening so they were able to celebrate with all of their family and friends after Alissa said YES.

Alissa & Paul wanted not one but two engagement sessions and we couldn’t have loved that idea more. We never say no to spending time on the Blue Ridge Parkway so we were thrilled to head up to Raven’s Roost with the couple.

After coming down from the mountain, we headed over to Vaughan House Green House for a gorgeous moody style shoot of Alissa’s dreams.

The Wedding

After a long-distance relationship, and a two-year engagement, Alissa and Paul were so ready to say “I Do” and spend the rest of their lives with their best friend.

The Details

Alissa & Paul’s wedding day was gorgeous. The hues of blue, burgundy, and mauve perfectly accented the setting in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The couple also wanted to make sure that their precious pups were part of their wedding day in a unique way. They incorporated little figurines of the dogs into the cake and even named their signature drinks after them.

Alissa gave Paul a medal that was his dads from the army to wear on the inside of his tux. It was a complete surprise to Paul and was a special part of the wedding day.

The Bridal Party

The Bridesmaids looked stunning in their Azazie dresses and the Groomsmen looked dapper in their grey Men’s Wearhouse suits.

The Bride & Groom

There’s something magical about being able to capture the progression of a first look. Paul did not disappoint with his reaction to seeing Alissa for the first time.

When we asked Alissa what makes them work as a couple she said, “We really are best friends. It’s never 50/50 – we always aim to be 100/100 and always have each other’s back, even when things are ugly. We make each other laugh every day and aren’t afraid to be authentic with each other. I really could not have dreamed of anyone else better for me.”

The Ceremony

Alissa & Paul were married at 5 pm on October 2nd, 2021 under an arbor at Glass Hill in Bedford County, VA.

The Reception

These two best friends danced the night away after saying “I Do”. With their family and friends by their side, they began their next adventure together. As husband and wife.

We wish Alissa & Paul a lifetime of sliding into each other’s DM’s. And if we take one lesson from their love story, it’s that it never hurts to shoot your shot. Instagram can lead to a lifetime of happiness.