the blog
I met Sally and Jake at Penguin Park on a beautiful fall day for their engagement session. We decided on Penguin Park because it is a place they frequent for trail walks together! The couple met at Northwest Missouri State University and dated for a few short months before going their separate ways. They reconnected two years ago and the rest is history! They enjoy spending time together by being active, going to the movie theater, and going out to dinner at Mr. Le’s for sushi.
Sally said she knew Jake was the one because he always makes her laugh. “We would stay up for hours talking and just laughing together. It felt more like being with my best friend than previous relationships.” They were visiting Jake’s family in Iowa when he popped the question. The two had decided to walk the property with their dog and at one point she turned around and he was down on one knee! When I asked her what she was most excited about for her future marriage she said, “I am excited for a future with my best friend, and all the trips and memories we will share. Having a family together, staying active and traveling to the mountains!”
The pop of emerald green they wore helped bring out the colors in the beautiful Fall foliage at the park. These two were so much fun! We had a blast walking around the park and down the trails. Thank you so much Sally and Jake for the opportunity to capture such a special time in your life!
The first thing some couples ask me when booking an engagement session is, “Where should we meet to take pictures?”. I know that question can be overwhelming because you want frame worthy-photos that also capture the essence of your relationship. I’m here to tell you that we don’t have to only meet at a park or outdoor space to capture those moments! One great way to capture moments that truly feel like “you” is to take me along on a date. Kansas City has so many wonderful businesses, restaurants and venues for dates! This couple had some great Kansas City date night ideas.
Bridget and Peter took me to some of their favorite places in KC and I was able to photograph them in such a special way! This session was so unique to them and I loved every second of it. We started out at the first date idea location: River Bluff Brewery. The couple grabbed some brews and sat down to chat while I captured some moments of them together. The brewery is beautiful on the inside with a relaxed/fun vibe and offers some great outdoor spaces to take photographs.
From there we made our way around the River Market, which is another date night favorite of theirs! Bridget said, “We’re always up for spontaneous date nights bopping around the River Market for drinks and a sweet treat.” This location was spacious and offered great lighting and backdrops. It also has a wide variety of shops and restaurants to choose from when it comes to date night!
Our last stop of the day was a perfect date night spot: Betty Rae’s! If you’re an ice cream or sweet treat lover this one’s for you! It was so fun to capture the two picking out their favorite flavors and digging in. Betty Rae’s has such a fun and unique atmosphere, the ice cream is also delicious. Bridget and Peter were so comfortable with each other and I had such a great time capturing some special moments for them. They have been together for 7 years – 4 of which were spent long-distance while they were in college. Their parents have been friends since college, but the military took them in separate directions for a while. Their families all ended up in the same place when Bridget and Peter were in elementary school and that is when they met!
When I asked them what was one thing they were most excited about for future marriage they said, “Building new Christmas traditions together as a family,” and I don’t think there is anything much sweeter than that. Thank you Bridget and Peter for letting me hang out and capture some special moments of this special time in your lives!
When planning a proposal you can go as extravagant or simple as you’d like! It’s all about what you prefer as a couple. This moment is the first step in your forever and it should feel like you. Josh knew he wanted to surprise Taylor but wasn’t sure how to go about it. He recruited Taylor’s family for a surprise session outside the Nelson Atkins Museum!
Taylor arrived at the Nelson Atkins to take Christmas card photos with her family. Nothing out of the ordinary there, right? Little did she know, Josh was waiting to get down on one knee and pop the question! HOW CUTE IS THAT?! After Taylor realized the Christmas card session was actually a proposal session she was surprised AGAIN when their family and friends came out to celebrate.
It was such an incredibly sweet moment to capture! I was able to get some photos of the newly engaged couple alone and together with their families before they all headed to dinner to celebrate.
If you are in the beginning stages of proposal planning and aren’t sure where to begin I recommend reaching out to your significant other’s family and friends. Not only are they going to have great suggestions, they may even offer to help with the planning and execution of the proposal!
This session was so fun and I can’t wait to capture more proposals this upcoming season! Thank you Josh and Taylor for allowing me to be a part of your story. Soak up every single second of being engaged!
I recently had the honor of photographing one of my best friend’s older brother’s engagement session at Black Hoof Park. Capturing special moments is my specialty, but absolutely nothing compares to capturing the special moments of someone SPECIAL to me! I’ve known Jesse since we were in elementary school and I’m so excited to see him get married!
Haleigh and Jesse wanted all the cozy Fall colors in their session and Black Hoof Park did not disappoint! It was a beautiful and bright day and the colors of the leaves photographed so well with their neutral colored outfits. They brought their pup Ruby along for the session and we got some very sweet pictures with her!
After getting great photographs with the foliage in the background, we headed over to Lake Lenexa to capture some moments on the boardwalk near the water. The trees near the lake were just as vibrant! These two are so comfortable with each other and I’m so happy I could capture the love and laughter from this day. Haleigh and Jesse are planning to elope in Alaska next Summer and I am SO excited to capture the day for them. Until then, I’ll just be looking back at the moments from this session and patiently waiting in anticipation. Thank you so much Haleigh and Jesse for allowing me to capture these special moments in your story!
Victoria and Nick met with me at the Nelson Atkins Museum for their Fall engagement session. The day was AMAZING. Although it was cloudy, the Fall colors were in full swing. It couldn’t have been prettier. They brought their dog, Belle, and a couple of their favorite books to read. And we used the books as props at the end of their session, as well as popping some champagne to celebrate this new season of life. Something that is important to me as a Kansas City Photographer is including personal elements in all my engagement sessions. I love for them to walk away with a gallery full of images that represent them & their authentic lives.
We were able to get in two outfits for their engagement session at the museum. First one really complimented all the Fall colors. Pulling golden and earth tones from the beautiful backdrop. And the second one was an all black outfit, one of my favs for couples shoots! And Victoria’s sweater had a little embroidery detail on the elbows which was such a pretty touch!
The Nelson Atkins area is great all year for sessions. It’s one of the statement places in Kansas City, and one of my favorite places to bring my clients.
I can’t wait for Victoria and Nick to celebrate their wedding! And felt so lucky to get this session in for them before winter!
Antoinette & Seth got engaged on a beautiful Fall day at the same park they had their first date – Meadow Brooke Park. How cool is that?! I love when my couples incorporate these personal details into their day.
The trees were already turning colors, and the leaves were everywhere! *Perfect* Fall vibes! We started their session as a normal couples session. Antoinette had no idea a proposal was in her near future! Especially because we went through most of their session with no out of the ordinary behavior!
And then, after a little while of shooting, Seth got down on one knee and popped the question! Ah!! It never gets old photographing these big moments!!
After Antoinette said YES (of course she did!) we wandered around the park, then enjoyed coffee at The Market at Meadow Brooke Park! What a cute idea for any type of session, to grab coffee together and have it captured. I feel like I’m third wheel on a date, and I’m here for it.
Especially at a place that means so much to the both of them! There’s so much this park has to offer, so I totally get why they had their first date here! It’s no ordinary place to just have a picnic! There’s a market and an Inn in the property. So much variety!
Huge congrats to Antoinette & Seth on their engagement! I felt so lucky to capture this day for you!
I met with Payton and Jordan for their Fall engagement session last year! They offered to use Payton’s family land for their shoot and I eagerly accepted! This location was a perfect place to show off the Fall colors and get some epic backgrounds for their images!
They have a pond on the property with a pier, which we used right at the beginning of their session. It looked like it was out of a movie! The family also has this willow tree that is such a statement piece on the land, so of course we shot there too. Both of these locations were perfect their Fall engagement session vibes!
I loved their different outfits throughout the session too! From her in a long green cardigan & him in the flannel shirt for their first outfit, to the two other outfit changes afterwards. Make sure to scroll down to get great outfit inspo for photo sessions! The sun had decided to make her appearance at the end of their session so we made sure to use it to our advantage!
They are getting married this October, about a month from now and I can’t wait to celebrate with them! They’re the sweetest couple and I loved this session!
Tyler planned the perfect Kauffman Proposal for Marlee with the help of their families! A little backstory on these two. They actually met here! How cool is that? He wanted to make sure this moment was so sentimental for them so he planned to take her to the Center where they met and have their families hidden while he got down on one knee!
I love the Kauffman as shoot location because there is so much to work with on just one property! After he proposed we walked around with some of their family to grab portraits of them as a group! Tyler also invited Marlee’s best friend, and the look on her face when she saw the ring was priceless! It was also clear skies so it was the perfect wedding for a happy engagement!
Tyler’s Kauffman Proposal was a complete success and being apart of it was a blast! Congrats again you two! Happy wedding planning!!
Maris & Maddie had a beautiful Shawnee Mission Park session with me in the Spring. The two of them hadn’t ever had professional photos taken of the two of them, but you wouldn’t have been able to tell based on how natural they were the entire session! They are also such good company and I had some of the friendliest conversations having only met for the first time this day!
They are also so obviously in love, and checked in with one another during their session. We started under the trees while walking the path right at sunset! It had rained earlier in the day but had cleared up just in time for our session! Our night ended at the water walking along one of the piers that had an amazing view of the lake. It was overcast skies but I truly love that lighting because it allows me the flexibility to shoot anywhere in the park.
Thank you so much Maria & Maddie for being such great company for your Shawnee Mission park session! You two are truly two of the sweetest humans!
Jordan & Coleman had the prettiest modern engagement session in downtown Kansas City. They had two outfits planned that they put so much time and effort into creating, & they turned out stunning! Jordan is actually one of my best friends! She was very open with me about her ideas and I told her we could make anything she’s dreamed about come to life! Her style is obviously very modern, but she also wanted chic! I told her I knew the perfect places for us to have a bit of fun creating her vision!
We went downtown to the Kauffman first. The arts center has beautiful architecture and even spaces that make it feel like a big tech building! It was perfect for the beginning of their modern engagement session! She even brought our her veil that was decorated in pearls for some solo portraits of her! It was nice just spending the evening with the two of them because I really got to let some creativity show through!
We ended the evening on a nearby rooftop for their Modern engagement session. You guys know how much I love KC rooftops, so mixing their modern chic with old town Kansas City was the perfect blend!
Thanks so much for spending the evening with me Jordan & Coleman! It’s always the best time!
