A black-and-white engagement photoshoot at the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson in Washington, D.C.

Spouses-to-be Clarissa (she/her) and Victoria (she/her) met on Her, a queer dating app. Victoria is in the Navy, and the pair started dating just seven months before her final deployment. They made their relationship work through that difficult period of distance and got engaged when Victoria returned home!

Victoria is originally from California, and is of Mexican descent, and Clarissa is Puerto Rican and from the Bronx. Now based in Virginia, they share deep pride for their heritage and the life they are building together. When they were deciding where to take their engagement photos, they landed on the National Gallery of Art and the Jefferson in Washington, D.C. They each wore two different outfits during their photoshoot, choosing black-and-white attire that complemented each other’s elegant look, as well as the modern architecture of both locations.

Neither of them were looking for a serious relationship when they met, but when they began talking it just felt so natural and they couldn’t help falling for each other. Clarissa says, “Victoria makes my cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing so much. She is the corniest person I know! She is a romantic, and I’m a realist. She is my best friend and love of my life.”