Anna and Jesse had a beautiful engagement shoot in Stillwater.

Anna and Jesse were just effortless. Effortlessly beautiful, effortlessly photogenic, and effortlessly in love with each other. I mean this first and foremost from a photographer’s standpoint; it was effortless to capture the love between these two on camera. From an observer’s standpoint, you could just feel the joy of these two being absolutely in love with one another. They were relaxed and comfortable, clearly secure in who they were and what they had together. It was hard to not get amazing pictures, because they were just themselves, and that’s what their photos inevitably reflected. Because of this, Anna and Jesse would have taken beautiful pictures anywhere, but we ended up shooting with interesting weather and amazing scenery as well. It was rainy, which I always see as an opportunity for adorable umbrella pictures and unique misty backgrounds. When the rain halted, we seized the opportunity to capture some moments overlooking the banks of the St. Croix. We even took some pictures in the river! Anna and Jesse, your presence is calming and your love is contagious, and I cannot wait for your wedding!

Synnove’s first impression after first meeting John  was, “I bet I will be dating that kid by the end of this summer!” And here they are today… engaged to be married!

John collaborated with Synnove’s father to completely surprise her with a proposal she would never forget. Synnove was under the impression that John was going out of town to visit a friend, while she spent the weekend in her hometown participating in a 10-part scavenger hunt that started in her favorite café and ended in her Mother’s family farm. When she arrived at the farm, the barn was decorated with white hanging lights, and a desk, chair, and laptop were sitting there waiting for her. Synnove had previously thought that this weekend was her Father’s belated-birthday gift to her, but in this moment she began to realize that it was much more.  She pressed play on the laptop to reveal a video that John had created for her, documenting their relationship and the trip he made to come propose. He even made a special stop at her Grandmother’s headstone to ask for permission. At the end of the video Synnove turned around, already in tears, to find John on one knee behind her. She of course said, “YES!”

The surprise was not over yet. Hiding at her Mother’s house was all of their family and close friends, ready to celebrate with the newly engaged couple! Synnove and John, we already love your story, and cannot wait to help you document your next chapter! Congratulations!

Angela and Dan celebrate their joyful engagement in Uptown.

Angela and Dan’s proposal story is so sweet that I couldn’t help but share it. It was a Thursday night and Angela had just gotten home from work. She was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for Dan, who had previously informed her that he would be getting home late, when he finally walked in holding a bouquet of flowers. He hugged her and said, “When I think of us and the future, I don’t feel anxious or nervous, but I have a sense of longing.” Dan then pulled out the ring and asked Angela to marry him. She of course said, “Yes.” They didn’t even tell anyone until the next day, cherishing the special moment between just the two of them for as long as they could.

Angela describes their proposal as quiet, simple, and very intimate. It was her perfect proposal and very representative of them as a couple. Upon meeting the two, I immediately understood why. I wanted their engagement photos to capture the same simple magic that their relationship embodies. And I think we did just that. After posing in parking garages and kissing in front of a silhouette of the city at sunset, it was clear that Angela and Dan’s love for each other was the most stunning part of the picture. Congratulations you two! I can’t wait for the wedding.

Kelsey and Robbie are simply great.  They’re my kind of people – adventurous, talented, always smiling, and they don’t take themselves too seriously. We all met up earlier this year on Maui. Since my wife and I live on the island during the winters, I was able to do a destination engagement photo shoot for Robbie and Kelsey when they took a trip out there in February. Unfortunately, the only day we were all able to meet also happened to be the only day it poured rain for hours and hours in Wailea where we were shooting. So we decided to give it another go this summer in Minnesota.

Kelsey and Robbie met me last week at the Wayzata Yacht Club to take some more engagement pictures on Lake Minnetonka. They were so much fun to photograph – playful and beautiful… the best kind of subjects! I learned that they met while skydiving. But of course!

When I asked them about their proposal story, Kelsey told me about how she’d almost ruined Robbie’s master plan by double booking their calendar, and how Robbie pulled it off anyway by sneaking off with her car to go “get gas” later that night. When he called her after a half hour with a supposed flat tire, she was a little miffed about having to go rescue him instead of getting ready for bed. I only hope she was wearing pajama pants when she left the house…

You see, Kelsey and Robbie’s first date didn’t go according to plan either. She ended up being sick on the day they were supposed to get together, so instead they made the best of it and decided to stay in and watch movies in their sweatpants. They called it Sweatpant Sunday.

Back to the night of the proposal (which was on a Sunday)… when Kelsey found Robbie, he was on the side of the road wearing a suit jacket, a nice shirt, a tie, and sweatpants. At first this irked her even more because she thought he’d been dilly-dallying around with outfits while he was supposed to be getting gas for her car, and this was just another thing preventing her from crawling into bed! But he simply took her hand and led her down a path that went behind the Carlson Towers, and that’s when she saw it – a pavilion decorated with romantic lights and flowers everywhere.

“Robbie got down on one knee and I immediately starting crying and said, ‘YES!’ probably about 100 times. It was a beautiful moment and all my frustration instantly disappeared. As we were walking back to the car, I said, ‘Well let’s get that tire fixed!’ and Robbie started laughing. Then he told me there was never actually a flat tire,” recalls Kelsey. From what I hear, her family might have called that last bit a “Kelseyism.”

Enjoy these engagement photos, you two! I can’t wait for your wedding!

Another wonder of the modern world… Maria and Scott met online, and now they’re engaged! Here’s a story of hope for those who are searching for love….

Maria instantly knew she would like Scott when she saw a picture of him online. “He was looking over his shoulder in front of sink where he was washing dishes. The hair on the back of his head was standing straight up. I was immediately drawn to his modest charm and obvious sense of humor,” she says.

Three years later, Scott proposed to Maria at her favorite restaurant in New York City. He did it sweetly and privately after the place had cleared out in the evening. It was pretty darn romantic, and Maria loved it.

I met Maria and Scott at the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis for their engagement photo shoot this summer. I was struck by how comfortable they are with one another. They clearly enjoy each other’s company.

We took several pictures up on the bridge with the Minneapolis skyline in the background, down along the paths of Father Hennepin Park, and out on St. Anthony Main. We even ran into my wife, Liz, when she pulled up on her motorcycle to say hi! It was the perfect night for a ride… Which also meant it was a perfect night for photos! Maria, Scott and I got to take advantage of the warm light filtering through the trees in the late evening. Cottonwood floating about provided a quintessential summertime speckling effect in some photos, and we got some cool sunset camera flares a bit later.

I had a great time with you two, Maria and Scott! Enjoy your engagement pictures!