I’m all sorts of choked up about this for so many reasons — first, Vinicio is just a gem of a human being and one of my first online dating photography clients (before I had any sort of a plan or a system and was just winging it trying to help people find love).
Vinicio is kind, creative, he’s hilarious, and he has a smile so big and bright it melts glass.
If you’ve ever visited my sister site for professional headshot photos (Icon Photo), you’ve seen Vinicio– he’s been the cover man on my homepage for a long time. Plus he’s in my new BTS video on the the dating photography packages page!
Vinicio booked a Level-Up dating photography package and we did his photoshoot around Belltown and at the Olympic Sculpture Park. After the photo shoot we stayed in touch and became bona-fide friends. After a while Vinicio tells me he’s met someone really special — Whitney (coincidentally, also a photographer!). He tells me she’s smart, she’s beautiful, and he’s completely head over heels. Time passes, I keep hearing about Whitney, and then Vinicio tells me he’s going to ask her to marry him!
She said yes (!!) and after hearing so many wonderful things about Whitney I finally got to meet her! We did an engagement photography session at Rattlesnake Lake and Whitney is indeed as special as Vinicio described. Plus, she’s got a smile that’s as contagious and high-voltage as Vinicio’s (something I did not think was possible).
Andrea: So, which dating app did you and Vinicio first match on? And, when you first encountered his online dating profile how did Vinicio come across to you? What drew you to him?
Whitney: We matched on Hinge! The first thing I noticed about Vinicio was that he had a beautiful & kind smile. His photos gave me butterflies 🦋.
Andrea: Was there a particular photo on his dating profile that captured your attention? What vibes did you get from his online dating photos?
Whitney: My favorite photo of him was the one where he was in his purple shirt. Purple is my favorite color. I felt like the fact that he chose to wear purple showed his confidence & ability to be himself. I also liked the photo of him where he almost looked like he was laughing, with his origami shirt.
Andrea: Yesssss! When I’m helping my dating photography clients decide what to wear for dating profile photos I always encourage them to include a shirt in a bold color — color is eye catching and says “I’m not trying to blend in with the background”. I love that Vinicio’s purple shirt captured your attention.
Whitney: He looked so warm and inviting, like he had a kind soul. Since I’m a professional photographer, I tend to be more drawn to professional dating photos.
Andrea: Right?! So you’re saying Vinicio’s dating photos didn’t just make him look good, they gave you a sense that he was self aware and he was making an effort to present himself well. Some men are concerned that professional dating photos will make them look like they’re trying too hard when in reality, most women see professional dating photos as a very good thing.
Alright, so when you met up in person, where was your first date? Did Vinicio come across in person like he did in his photos? (in other words, was he how you expected/hoped he would be based on his dating profile?)
Whitney: Vinicio and I met up in person 2 days after matching on the Hinge. We couldn’t wait to meet! We had long, deep conversations over text and were excited to see if the connection continued in person. We met at the Olympic Sculpture Park for a walking date, and then went to Umi Sake House for dinner.
Andrea: I love that — he is definitely all of those things! So, what has happened since that first date?
Whitney: Since our first date we couldn’t get enough of each other! We quickly set up follow up dates, and continued to talk endlessly over text. We fell hard and fast for each other. We spent a lot of time really getting to know each other. We talked about our pasts and what made us who we are today, as well as what we see for our future. We were so aligned!
We became exclusive within the first week of dating, and also told each other we were in love. Before the end of the first month we were officially together and a year and 3 months later we got married.
I knew right away I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him! I know he’ll continue to be a partner in life and we’ll always work hard to make each other happy, and feel supported and loved.
Our wedding was a simple ceremony on Alki Beach and we plan to having a 2nd destination wedding ceremony with our families in 2024.
Andrea: Ok I’m in a full-blown swoon 🥰. You look So beautiful (and happy!) in your wedding photos. So, what’s next for the two of you?
Whitney: Our next adventure is buying a home and moving to Spokane and then starting our family!
Alright folks, there you have it! My first officially blogged professional dating photography client success story 😭. Cheers to Vinicio and Whitney and stay tuned for more dating photo happy endings on the blog.
Ready to set yourself up for your own happy ending? Let’s get you some new dating profile photos so you can meet your future spouse too.
I help people find love on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble. My superpower as a professional dating profile photographer is less about photography skills and more about my way with people. I make regular folks look confident, warm, totally genuine, and effortlessly magnetic in their online dating photos by making them *feel* confident, warm, and magnetic in real life.