The National Building Museum ball pit “Beach” exhibit made quite a splash when it opened earlier this summer, and now that we’ve solved the mystery of whether or not it’s sanitary to roll around in a bunch of plastic balls, we can look on Maaden Eshete and Louis Jones’ adorable engagement shoot and smile at just how awesome it is. Joined by photographer Dotun Ayodeji, Maaden and Louis posed for portraits as they dove in for a playful shoot at the “Beach.”
Maaden and Louis, who both were volunteers for non-profits in DC, first met during a Thanksgiving outreach project that both of their organizations had signed up to participate in. Though Maaden wasn’t interested in dating at the time, she reluctantly agreed to grab lunch with Louis, who found her irresistibly gorgeous. They met at We the Pizza in Capitol Hill, followed by an exhibit at the National Geographic Museum, and though she’d thought she wasn’t ready to date, Maaden was quickly won over by Louis’ charm and humor.
They had dated for three years when Maaden was staying in a hotel room over Super Bowl Sunday. She was surprised when an order of champagne, flowers, chocolate covered strawberries, and a note from Louis arrived at her room. But her suspicions really started to arise when an order of chicken wings showed up at her door. One of the first times they’d hung out was on Super Bowl Sunday three years prior, and when Maaden offered to grab Louis a snack, he told her that if she returned with his favorite–chicken wings–she “might end up being his forever.” And when Louis showed up, ring in hand, Maaden knew her suspicions were correct.
Their engagement portraits are full of life in these snaps at the ball pit. And after their fun engagement shoot at the National Building Museum, they finished the session like any good day at the beach: with a sweet frozen treat at CityCenterDC’s Dolcezza Gelato.
Maaden and Louis are set to wed at Stone Manor Country Club on September 5, 2015.
Caroline Cunningham joined Washingtonian in 2014 after moving to the DC area from Cincinnati, where she interned and freelanced for Cincinnati Magazine and worked in content marketing. She currently resides in College Park.
