Lauren Meler and Derek Shellenbarger
Daysy Photography
Despite the online relationships featured on the MTV hit show Catfish that all ended with an #epicfail, one couple managed to beat the odds and are still going strong.
Lauren Meler, 23, and Derek Shullenbarger, 25, who got engaged at the end of last season, are happily planning their wedding – and sharing photos from their recent engagement photo shoot with PEOPLE.
"They're so in love," says photographer Daysy Teixeira, who shot the happy couple in Frederick, Md., earlier this month. "I usually have to remind couples to kiss for the camera, but that was not a problem for them. They're so passionate."
Meler, who's from Texas, had kept up a virtual relationship with Shullenbarger via Myspace for eight years before she popped up in his Maryland hometown and finally met him face-to-face on the show.
No lies or fake profiles for this duo – surprisingly, they turned out to be exactly who they'd typed they were. Earlier this year, Meler relocated with her 3-year-old son, Mason, from a previous relationship, to be closer to her fiancé.
"They wanted to take a few pictures at the restaurant where they had their first date on the show," says Teixeira, "Derek was so excited."
The couple have yet to set a wedding date, but they're planning to wed halfway between their home states some time next year.
Derek Shullenbarger and Lauren Meler with her son
Daysy Teixeira / Daysy Photography
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