Adam and Tyler's West Village Engagement Shoot

When Adam and Tyler were planning their engagement shoot with Love Lister, Phillipvn Photography, they wanted the session to take on the feel of an exciting but low key date night in New York City. “We’re both from Texas, but New York is where we met and have built our lives; it’s really important to us.” Adam says. So they dressed in casual, date-night attire and headed out to one of their favorite neighborhoods in the city to stroll around the cobblestone streets hand-in-hand before stopping at a restaurant that's been dubbed one of the most romantic in the city for a drink. “I know for us both, the West Village offers a glimpse at what we love in the city — the historic charm, the creativity, the life,” Adam says. “It seemed like the right place to have some fun and capture great shots with ease.”

The Love Story

Because navigating the world of online dating can be so terribly daunting at times, Adam came up with a rule for himself where he would only talk to one guy at a time. It just so happened that on the same night Adam was out with a date, Tyler matched with Adam on OkCupid. “I could tell from his profile he was extraordinarily creative, playful, and above all else, seemed really sincere,” Tyler says. “I thought to myself, ‘this one is special; that’s the kind of person I want to be with,’ and I had a magical feeling about it when I messaged him.”

Unfortunately, when Adam received Tyler’s message, he was adamant about sticking to his rule. But when plans for a second date were canceled on account of his date being hungover, Adam decided to message Tyler back, and Tyler jumped at the chance to ask him out. “We met in person on a Sunday afternoon in Union Square, and the second he looked up at me, he said he needed to find a restroom,” Tyler says. “As I waited outside, I thought to myself, ‘brace for rejection!’ But as it turned out, he really did just need to use the restroom. We ended up spending a long time getting to know each other on a park bench, and I was reassured when he accepted a further invitation to dinner. By the end of our date, we walked back to the train station and had our first sweet kiss.”

The Proposal

Not long after they first met, Adam told Tyler how much he wanted to go to Paris. “I had imagined long ago that Paris would be the place I would propose to him,” Tyler says. So when Valentine’s Day arrived, he suggested they jet off to France for a romantic getaway, and Adam couldn’t have been more excited, not knowing that Tyler had life-changing plans in store for once they arrived. “I bought our rings ahead of the trip, anxiously carried them through airport security and kept them hidden on me for several days,” Tyler says. After a beautiful day exploring The Louvre and sharing lunch at an outdoor cafe, Adam and Tyler headed for the Luxembourg Gardens. “We found a place to sit on the edge of the fountain, and I immediately became distracted by the ducks swimming nearby — a common occurrence,” Adam says. “Tyler started talking about how we should start planning our lives together, and I, still entranced by the duck nearest me, was not understanding what was happening.”

Although he was going to have to steal Adam’s attention away from the ducks, Tyler felt the timing was perfect to finally ask the important four-word question he had been waiting to ask since the trip began, and his nerves quickly set in. “I was so nervous my speech fell apart, and I forgot to lower to one knee,” Tyler says. “Once I got his attention, it was the perfect setting I had dreamed of.” Adam was so shocked when he looked down and saw a ring box with a ring for each of them, but he, of course, said yes enthusiastically. “It was all quite unexpected,” Adam says. “It really took a while to sink in!”

The Rings

“We each have platinum bands from Tiffany,” Tyler says. “Adam has a small diamond embedded in his ring, and we later had them engraved with “Paris 5-2-2016” in script.”

Memorable Moment

“For me, it was how simple it was but that it was surrounded in such extreme beauty,” Adam says. “The day really had just been so pleasant and serene — the weather was gorgeous, and I asked a guy to take our picture, and it almost looks professional because everything was so perfect. The moment felt natural and true to who we are and that’s always stuck with me — even if I tease him about forgetting to get down on one knee.”