Brittany Powell, 28, met her fiance Mario Austin, 29, in middle school. She thought he was cute, but he was so shy, she had to have a friend hook them up. But later on he closed the deal when he surprised her with a ring. They’re tying the knot in Mexico next month — share their love.
“We are doing a destination wedding on the beach with 40-50 of our closest friends and family members,” says Brittany who’s thrilled to be tying the knot Mexico-style in just a few weeks.
Brittany and Mario returned to the school where it all began to capture their love story on camera. Such a sweet keepsake idea and authentic way to revisit their beginnings.
Remember those days when you were happy just to cuddle on the back of the school bus with your crush? Brittany and Mario do. Check out those youthful grins.
How fun is this shoot? It’s so important for any couple about to embark on the voyage of marriage to be able to have fun and be silly together — older generations will tell you, it keeps you young.
“Mario says he has known we were going to get married since the eighth grade,” reveals Brittany. “It took me a little longer. My parents have been married for over 35 years, so I just wanted to make sure it was right. They’re a pretty tough act to follow!”
“Mario does sweet things for me all the time,” brags Brittany. “He makes sure we have at least one or two date nights a week. Sometimes I wake up in the morning to a single long stem rose.” Sounds like you picked a winner.
“I wouldn’t say either of us really played hard to get, initially,” says Brittany. “We dated off and on through middle school and high school. He used to always tell me I was fickle. Of course, I wasn’t fickle back then — I just wanted to explore all my options. And trust me, he explored his, too!”
Mario enlisted the help of some of their friends when it came time to pop the question to Brittany. They hold up a giant sheet with the words “Will you” on it and when she turned around, he was on bended knee asking her to be his wife.
“My friends love Mario,” says Brittany. “They all seem to have that brother/sister, love/hate relationship with him. They always pick on each other and talk about how much he eats. Whenever my friends are around there is a lot of teasing and taunting on both sides. But at the end of the day, it’s all love.”
“Mario is definitely a part of my family,” says Brittany. “He’s been around for so long, the relationships have just become natural.”
“Mario goes out of town with my parents to visit my grandmother whether I’m there or not,” says Brittany, who admits she loves how well Mario has fit into her world. “And he and my Dad are so much alike it’s scary.”
“Mario’s mother is deceased, but I knew her because we’ve been acquainted for so long,” says Brittany. “Mario’s mother was a beautiful, God-fearing woman who was loved by so many people.” It’s comforting for Mario to know that although his mother has passed away, Brittany is there to have his back.
“The story on my engagement ring is so special to the both of us,” says Brittany. “Mario’s mother had a diamond ring from Tiffany & Co. He had Tiffany’s reset the ring using his mother’s center stone and he added a halo. It’s perfect! His mother meant the world to him, so it makes me feel special that he wanted to use her diamond as the center stone for my engagement ring.”
“I love that my future husband is a God-fearing man,” says Brittany.
“I’ve always thought Mario has the sexiest eyes,” admits Brittany. “This sounds so cliché, but I really do feel like I can look into his eyes and see into his soul. They just speak to me.”
“In three words or less, Mario is passionate, playful, and affectionate,” says a proud Brittany.
“If you’re spying on us on a Friday night, you’ll probably catch us at home on the couch being super silly, or at a local bar people watching,” admits the bride-to-be.
Want to see more amazing photos from Brittany and Mario’s fun engagement shoot? Visit The Bride’s Cafe now. Want to see your engagement photos featured on Just Engaged? Email us now!
