Talk about a sweet love story.

I had the good fortune of working at the Stamford Marriott Hotel and Spa between August 2008 and December 2009 and I made a few lasting friendships. Julie was an experienced Front Desk Agent when I joined the team and was very sharp and no nonsense. She was beyond kind to the guests and was great at training new employees (like yours truly). She wasn’t bossy or looking to be a leader or looking for kudos. She just led by example. She was quick to correct you and make you feel silly for your mistakes usually adding a little smile or chuckle at the end of her statements.

A few months into working at the hotel, a new employee joined the team, Steven. We joked, though it wasn’t a joke, that it was nice to have a new guy as part of the front desk team. It was a bit of a girl’s club, we were outnumbered and the guys had to stick together. It was all in fun though, as we were a happy family. Steven was cool and suave with equal parts New Orleans swag and boyish innocence. Guests and staff loved him right away.

Alright so their story. I love this:

Julie is from Korea and decided to leave the Marriott to go back to Korea for some time. It was sad, we all missed her and didn’t know if we’d see her again. But fate (God) had plans for her because she came back to work in Stamford at the Marriott for a 2nd stint a few months after leaving. It just so happened to be right after Steven started working with us.

One day, Julie was working at our Concierge Desk, and Steven was working along side of me at the Front Desk. I was training him on that day. He had not been formally introduced to Julie at that point. Across the lobby, you could see the Concierge Desk from the Front Desk. During the course of the shift, I would speak with Julie regarding various guest issues. Steven noticed Julie…a lot. He kept looking in her direction…a lot. Towards the end of our shift, Steven approached me and I already knew that he was not going to ask me ANYTHING related to front desk work or to his training.

“So…uh…who is she? What’s her story? What’s going on with her…? “

After telling him a bit about Julie, you could see a switch flick on in his mind. He had a new goal…

Fast forward to June of 2013.

Through the magic of Facebook I was able to stay connected with Julie and Steven and watch their love bloom. I was beyond pleased when they reached out to me to ask if I would photograph some engagement photos for them. We met in Manhattan, reminisced and caught up on life. It was great to see them again. We wandered the streets and Central Park and had a good time: