We are definitely fall people, so we’ve got the wedding date booked for next November—cooler weather, more intimate. And we pretty much knew exactly what we wanted out of a more formal engagement photo shoot, because we are right in the heart of SoHo: Half of it would be in SoHo, early in the morning, with the lovely architecture of the buildings. Then, a dreamy garden experience—more floral and whimsical. We’re right next to Elizabeth Street Garden, and we have a lilac tree planted there, so it meant a lot that we did a little shoot there. We’ll be dressed up for the SoHo part. I’ll have a structured satin dress, and he’ll be in a suit. In the garden, we’ll go for something flowy and silky and lineny.

It’s actually so much harder than you think, trying to capture a moment in time. I love fashion and what you can show with it, but I was shopping like a madwoman. So many people get engaged and they look ready for it. They know they’re getting engaged; they’re in the white dress. It’s nice when people are wearing something that’s bride-ish but not full bridal.

We have the shoot next month. Finding the outfits was tough, but finally the first dress came: a gorgeous, structured, satin cap-sleeved dress. This garden dress was so hard. How do you look effortless but also whimsical?

Eventually, I spotted this striped dress from Ralph Lauren. I thought it looked so effortless, and it’s vaguely bridal because it is neutral. It’s a lovely dress. I really like the way it looks on me. So, I made a decision in my head. It looked the best, and because it’s not fully white, it doesn’t scream, This is an engagement outfit. It just felt right and nice. Literally the next day, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got engaged.

I thought I was a huge Swiftie, then I met John. He blew past me with the love. He creates playlists that tell stories, and he has specific ones for different adventures that are all Taylor. I was so excited when I saw her engagement announcement on Instagram. The first thing I did was screenshot the ring and the picture of them and send it to John. The dress wasn’t the first thing I saw, because I was mostly just excited by the notion of it.