Nathan & Janice eloped in Connecticut on a December day. They went on their first date at the Shops at Yale and decided to revisit their favorite spots as part of their Yale elopement!

“Our first date is one of our most memorable times together. We started talking via social media for a few months, and then agreed to meet up afterwards. It’s kind of funny because most people decide to go somewhere fancy and romantic, but Jan picked a Chinese buffet because she was craving seafood. I was super nervous to meet her, but then when we started eating, talking, and laughing, I immediately felt more comfortable almost like she was a long-lost friend. We had just planned to do lunch for the day, but enjoyed each other’s company so much we decided to spend the afternoon/evening exploring New Haven. We went to the Shops at Yale in New Haven, going in and out of clothing stores, exchanging playful banter, and laughing the whole time. Jan seemed to laugh at my jokes so much she kept playfully punching my arm, I don’t know why, but it made me smile so much. Before we knew it, the whole day had flown by and it was time to return home. After that first date, we had to keep seeing each other and quickly fell in love!” – Nathan

Revisiting the Shops and walking the Yale Old Campus, much of the same path they walked on their first date, was super special. Old campus is full of amazing Gothic architecture with dramatic locations like Branford College, the Harkness Gate, Sterling Memorial Library and little hidden gems like the archways of the Sterling Law Building which were incredibly romantic for this Yale Elopement. We even recreated the first photo ever took of them as a couple!

“Our favorite and most emotional moment was when we revisited the exact spot where we took our very first picture together on our first date. All of our old memories together came flooding back to us and it was such a special moment to show how much our love has grown together since then.

We loved walking around Yale again and discovering wonderful and beautiful new spots. We had so much fun during the whole process, between trying to stay warm, dancing and singing together, and enjoying the sweet romantic moments.” – Nathan

Nathan & Janice got engaged during Covid, “Janice and I picked out the engagement ring setting together at Beckers in West Hartford, and I proposed to her after a few weeks when we were taking a walk in a local park. I did my best to surprise her, but I was so nervous I think that she saw it coming from the moment I saw her that day. On our wedding day, we had a small civil ceremony outdoors with our close family and friends. It was quick and sweet because it was raining, windy, and even snowing at one point! When we told Janice’s family about our plans to get married, they were so happy and supportive of us. They were sad as well because they were unable to be with us, but we are excited to visit them in the Philippines to celebrate soon! The time difference between the USA and Philippines is 13 hours so we recorded the ceremony and shared it with them, they were so happy to watch it that Janice’s mom started crying.” – Nathan

It was incredibly special to be there for these sweet couple, and we all had a fantastic time running around the Yale campus. “Julia was amazing from the start to finish as our wedding photographer. Initially, she took the time to get to know us and understand what we envisioned for our wedding and photoshoot so that she could deliver us the most personalized experience. We can’t thank Julia enough for being flexible as well, because we had to change our schedule at the last minute due to poor weather conditions. Julia was more than understanding and happy to accommodate our needs. Throughout our communications and during our photoshoot, Julia was so warm and kind. We had such a blast and were so happy with how the photos turned out in the end. Julia, thank you for being our wonderful photographer, for capturing these special moments for us, and for your amazing work! We would highly recommend Julia to anyone and everyone!” – Nathan and Janice

Photographer: Julia Luckett // Venue: Yale // Florals: Janice // Officiant: Sonia Lofton // Engagement Ring: Gabriel & Co // Shop: Beckers // Wedding Bands: Costco // Dress: Lulus // Shoes: Clarks // #JanAndNateTietheKnot