Beautiful picture of Ese’s engagement ring!

This is a love story about a woman from Nigeria, and a man from Ghana somehow meeting and falling in love with each other in Kentucky. Ese & Kwasi met on their first day of graduate school in Kentucky. School was really the only thing on Ese’s mind; the same couldn’t be said for Kwasi. Ese wanted to go get her school ID, and Kwasi said he would go with her, pretending he hadn’t already gotten his. They exchanged phone numbers along the way and after two days of Kwasi trying to reach Ese, she finally responded. They’ve stuck with each other ever since! They have both been in the U.S. for four years; Ese is currently a resident physician in Minneapolis, and Kwasi is pursuing his doctorate in Portland, OR.

On the night of the proposal, he took Ese, along with their friends to the 112 Eatery in downtown Minneapolis. As one of their favorite tunes, “African Queen” by 2face Idibia started playing in the background, Kwasi stood up and made a toast. He talked about how much Ese meant to him and started to get down on one knee. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She saw him pull out the ring and you could see the excitement in her eyes. He asked her to marry him and she confidently said “yes!”

This couple had such an amazing bond and playfulness with one another during this shoot. We were able to take some great photos of the two at Lake Calhoun and Lake of the Isles. This location was special to them, because they love going on long walks around these lakes every week!

Brittany and Jesse having the best time at Coldwater Spring Park.

Brittany and Jesse first met while she was on her way to work, and from that moment on, they both knew that what they had was something special. They both love going mountain biking, and really anything that the whole family can do together. Jesse has a 9 year old son, Tanner, and they all love having family time together. Brittany and Jesse both coach Tanner’s soccer team, and Jesse also coaches Tanner’s hockey team. Talk about an athletic family! The couple also spends a lot of their time supporting Tee It Up for the Troops, since they are both veterans!

I first met this couple in Maui during the Minnesotan Annual Potluck. My wife and I talked to Brittany and Jesse the majority of the time because we were the only two couples under the age of 50. Brittany took my business card just in case she might want to reach out to me in the future, maybe hinting at Jesse to pop the question! Luckily, Jesse proposed 9 months later on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. Brittany said it was so romantic and they couldn’t wait to spend the rest of their lives together! And of course I got a call from them shortly after to take their engagement pictures!

I was really excited for this engagement shoot since I already met Brittany and Jesse in Maui. Tanner was kicking his soccer ball around the whole time and I loved looking at the plants with him. I bonded a lot with Tanner and by the end of the shoot he told me he wanted to be a photographer, just like me, which was pretty cool to hear a 9 year old say. This family was so energetic and we all had a blast shooting at Coldwater Spring Park. You can tell that this family has a really special bond that will last forever!

Mike and April laughing and having the best afternoon with their two dogs!

Mike locked eyes on April when he passed her in the Minneapolis Skyway, and he was on a quest to find her ever since. They both worked in the same building and Mike’s work buddies would always inform him if they saw her. One day, he finally went up to talk to her, and April said “it was over right there.” She loved talking to him and they had a lot of the same interests from the start. They both love going to wine tastings, concerts, and most importantly, they are HUGE Viking’s fans; even their dogs have jersey’s.

Mike proposed while they were celebrating their 2 year anniversary. He recreated their first big date, and when he got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife, She jumped up and down and asked “are you serious?” about 100 times. She couldn’t believe it. The moment was so surreal and perfect for her. To top off the engagement, Mike got all of their closest friends and family to join them at their favorite winery, Dancing Dragonfly. April was so happy and she said it was the most romantic thing ever.

From the start of the shoot, the dogs were eating anything and everything off of the ground, which was hilarious but a little frustrating for April and Mike. They brought one of the signature wines from the winery they will be getting married at. A few sips of wine before the shoot helped them relax and have a good time. They were super adventurous and had no hesitation jumping over barriers and fences to get in unique and totally awesome photo locations: under the Central Ave SE Bridge and over a construction fence for a beautiful river view. They were so fun to work with and smiles never left their faces!

Coldwater Spring Park provided so many beautiful backdrops for their Jody and Carter’s photos.

Jody and Carter met in High School. They were both in NHS, the Astronomy Club, and had mutual friends, but they didn’t exchange phone numbers until graduation night. May of their Freshman year of college, they decided to make it official and start dating. Although they never actually dated in high school, they were still one another’s high school sweethearts.

To give you an idea of how awesome and adventurous these two are, they got engaged in Sardinia, Italy while watching some cliff divers “from the comfort of [their] floaties” as Jodi describes it. Carter pulled the ring out of nowhere and in the brilliant sun, floating off the coast of Italy, he asked her to marry him.

Their engagement shoot was at Coldwater Springs Park and we had such a blast. These two are so easy going and free spirited and I could tell how much they enjoy one another’s company. We got some beautiful shots all around the park, and even some with their dog, Zeus! Life is never boring with these two and I know their marriage will be such an adventure.

Katie and Marc were so fun to work with, always making each other laugh.

Reading the story of how Katie and Marc met, it’s easy to see that the stars just aligned for these two. They first met at UW Madison in 2006 when Katie, a senior, was in Marc’s first physics class he was teaching as a first year Ph.D grad student. After dating for a year, Marc went to France to finish his Ph.D and the couple decided not to do long distance. After a few reunions in Dallas, Texas, they lost touch until 2013 when Marc discovered that Katie was living in the same area of Illinois as him and emailed her asking to get coffee. After traveling all over the U.S and abroad, these two finally ended up in the same place at the same time. If that’s not fate, I’m not sure what is.

I flew out to Madison to do their shoot and from the minute I arrived I knew this was going to be an ideal couple to photograph. Katie and Marc were laughing and having a great time with each other during the whole shoot. Their connection was obvious not only to me but everyone around and is clearly exhibited in their photos. We did a good portion of the shoot at the capital building, which had really great lighting and beautiful architecture, producing absolutely awesome photos. Katie and Marc, you two really are the product of fate, and I’m so excited for your wedding!