Meet Nadia and Alex.

A laidback pair of high school sweethearts with a love for their hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. I had the pleasure of spending a few hours with these two on a humid summer morning before the heat enveloped the day. Here’s how it went.

We started our session on North Laura Street, which boasts an insane amount of charm. Brick laid streets, old clocks, and architectural details of a bygone era. The sun hadn’t even peeked over the horizon yet, which made way for some good ole blue hour portraits.

Both natives to Jacksonville, Nadia and Alex grew up on opposite sides of the Saint John’s River. One in Riverside, the other in San Marco. During our initial call, Nadia told me that their wedding venue was the place where they attended school dances and homecomings alike – making it all the more special. Talk about full circle.

How did you two meet? We met in high school. We were 14, so it was pretty awkward as one can imagine. Our first date was a double date with our best friends, and neither of us talked to each other the entire time.

What are your favorite things to do together? We love going to the farmer’s market and grabbing fresh produce, especially because we can bring our pup, Juneau. Anything that involves us going out to eat is fun, too.

What’s your favorite place to visit together? We love going to New York City. We try to visit about twice a year.

New York City is actually where these two get engaged. Alex proposed to Nadia on a rooftop bar in Soho at sunset, with a beautiful view of the city (and his new fiancé.)

As we walked from The Bedell Building to our next location down the block, we passed the First Presbyterian Church on Ocean Street. Nadia was having waves of nostalgia, telling me about the dance recitals she would attend at the church when she was growing up. It’s no secret that as a photographer, I absolutely love reminiscing. The memories we share are so valuable, and sometimes all we have. It fills me with so much joy being on the receiving end of their stories, and having the privilege to tell them.

We hit North Laura Street one more time to get a few more shots since the sun had finally peeked over the horizon. If you asked me how many times we crossed this street, I wouldn’t be able to tell you!!

Our last stop was the North Bank Riverwalk, with a beautiful view of the John T. Alsop Jr. Bridge (Main St. Bridge) an iconic Jacksonville landmark that can be seen on any postcard from the area. What a perfect backdrop for these two Jax natives. Nadia’s waves of nostalgia were hitting her again as we walked down the harringbone brick path of the riverwalk. I can’t imagine even begin to imagine how special this session was for them.

Nadia and Alex’s wedding will be held in the spring of 2025 in Jacksonville, Florida amongst their closest friends and family.