~ Lindsey & Andrei | Engaged ~
Bears Den Overlook | Bluemont, Virginia | October 12, 2024
Lindsey and Andrei are personal trainers at a local gym. One night, a casual conversation between them unexpectedly turned into a deep, two-hour connection. Soon after, the holiday staff party arrived and that’s when Andrei took Lindsey on their first date—and showed up with flowers, just as Lindsey had prayed for, an answered prayer that confirmed to her he was the one God intended for her. She had brought Andrei to God and he began his faith journey with her. Three months later, Andrei asked for Lindsey’s father’s blessing, proposing officially on the Fourth of July with his mother’s first ring.
Last Month we met up at Bears Den Overlook and hiked a gorgeous trail to see the sunset over the mountains and valleys. Lindsey & Andrei made my job so easy! They are so into each other and you can tell they were enjoying their session like it was a date, as they should. The leaves were just starting to change, so the pops of color in the waves of green were stunning. The pink clouds and the orange sun made for such a romantic setting. I cannot wait for these two to get married next May at Greenock Manor blending Russian and American traditions together.
See their full love story at the bottom of this blog!!
Lindsey wrote the most beautiful synopsis of their love story for their wedding website and sent to me. I wanted to share her beautiful writing below:
In the winter of 2023, Lindsey and Andrei met at Onelife Fitness, both working as personal trainers. What started as simple chats between coworkers soon turned into something deeper.
One night at the gym, a casual conversation turned into a two-hour connection. Soon after, the gym’s staff holiday party arrived, and that is when Andrei took Lindsey on their first date.
Before that night, Lindsey had prayed to God for a little while—she told God, “Lord, I know the man you will have for me when he brings me flowers”, as she had never gotten them from a partner before. And on that night of the staff holiday party, as Andrei walked up to the door, she saw him holding a bouquet of flowers.
In her heart, Lindsey felt that Andrei was the one God had for her even though they had just met. However, there was a challenge: Andrei wasn’t a believer in Christ, though she knew he was searching for something more. Lindsey felt so much peace with Andrei that she decided to give it some time because she strongly felt that peace was from the Lord.
Just one month later, everything changed when Lindsey woke up to a text from Andrei saying, “I believe now.“
In that instant, her heart leaped with joy—she knew that the man she was falling in love with had found faith in Christ. Andrei saw the light of Christ and understood he was a sinner who needed a savior. He was saved by putting his faith in Christ exactly 1 year after Lindsey did.
From that moment on, God has continued to work in miraculous ways, strengthening their relationship, correcting them along the way, and teaching them how to keep Him as the center of every aspect of their life.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”
Andrei and Lindsey, both with renewed spirits in Christ, are ready for the next season of their relationship.
Their marriage marks a new beginning in oneness, just as Genesis 2:24 reminds us: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
They understand that to live as one flesh, Christ must be the head. They understand that to grow as one, they must sacrifice their self-intersts for the other, just like Christ sacrificed himself on the cross to pay for our sins so we can be in unity with Him if we so choose.
All glory be to our God!