Brisia and Tyler traveled down to Charleston from North Carolina to do their engagement shoot together. When asking them what feels inspiring and personal to their love story, we settled on the beach and The Longest Ride as our movie inspo.
Why I love using movie references as inspo for engagement shoots
We fall in love with movies because they speak to our soul. The parts of us that long for connection, the parts of us that we’ve maybe neglected, and they tug on our emotional heart strings and pull us in. Why would I not want to use the rules of cinema and emotive story telling in engagement shoots or on a wedding day? I often remind myself that every couple’s love story is different. We all love a different romantic movie. What’s yours? Why do you love it? What about the main characters do you relate to? Why do you feel inspired by it? By asking the deeper questions – It allows deeper meaning and the end result? Greatly benefits.
Check out our inspiration for their engagement shoot from these stills from The Longest Ride
Brisia and Tyler’s story began with a dog.
Dexter, Tyler’s German Shepherd, to be exact. Brisia started walking him, just a small overlap in their lives that turned into something more familiar over time. After a few months, she asked Tyler to hang out—an easy, casual invitation so their dogs could meet. Somewhere in there, she “bullied” him (her words) into a friendship.
And that’s where it really began.
For two years, they were just that—friends. No pressure, no rush. Just shared time, building something without needing to define it. Then life shifted in the smallest but most significant way: Brisia moved to South End, just two blocks from Tyler.
Proximity has a way of changing things.
They started seeing each other more. Hanging out turned into daily routines. And without ever having a formal conversation about it, they became inseparable. No big moment. No dramatic shift. Just a quiet understanding that this was it.
That kind of love—the kind rooted in friendship—has a different weight to it. It’s steady. It’s safe. It feels like home.
On their one-year anniversary trip, Tyler proposed in Asheville—Brisia’s favorite place. A setting that already held meaning, now layered with something even deeper. The beginning of the rest of their lives, built on the same foundation that started it all: friendship, ease, and a shared love for their dogs.
When we started dreaming up their engagement shoot, they mentioned The Longest Ride by Nicholas Sparks as a visual inspiration. Not in a literal sense, but in the feeling of it—two different personalities coming together and finding balance. Something grounded, a little nostalgic, and deeply emotional without trying too hard.
That aligned so naturally with how they described themselves.
Warm. Genuine. Natural.
(And very clearly, no Step Brothers energy.)
Their connection lives in the in-between moments. Tyler shows love through acts of service—quiet, consistent care. Brisia leans into physical touch, while also valuing time spent together. It’s a balance that feels effortless, like they’ve always known how to meet each other where it matters.
When I asked where they feel most like themselves, the answer was simple: outside, together, with their dogs. No matter where they are, as long as there’s good scenery and a drink in hand, they’re exactly where they want to be.
So we leaned into that.
No over-posing. No forcing moments.
Just space to lean into each other.
The kind of shoot where you’re not performing your relationship—you’re just living inside it.
Because that’s the thing about engagement photos, especially when you’re drawn to a more documentary style approach. It’s not about recreating someone else’s version of romance. It’s about noticing your own.
The way you naturally reach for each other.
The way time slows down when you’re side by side.
The quiet, unspoken rhythm you’ve already built.
If it were their last day, they said they’d spend it outside, watching the sunset somewhere surrounded by nature—with a bottle of cabernet, just being together.
Check out the results!
Want more inspo? Check out more couples shoots here.
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