They were friends before they started dating.

Over the past three years they’ve become best friends.

And in two short month they’ll vow to be best friends FOREVER!! (and husband + wife, ’til death do they part… :-))

Laura, you make me so proud to share my first name with you. You’re so gorgeous!!

I LOVE the seriousness that Laura pulled off for this image…

…but this is totally way more ‘them!’

Brent + Laura – thanks so much for being so lovable!! I am so proud to know you and I’m SUPER excited for your wedding in July!!!

This weekend I was in on a little secret. Okay, a BIG secret. I was asked to photograph a PROPOSAL!!!

Brent was planning to propose to his girlfriend at Sylvan Lake in Custer State Park and he wanted photos of him, down on one knee, asking Kelcey to MARRY him!!!

I told Brent I would be walking around the lake, and I would be taking photos of the nature and the scenery….

… and how beautiful Sylvan Lake looks…

…and I would be in just the right position when they walked up…

(…and I SO wish I could have recorded Kelcey’s uncontrollable giggles!!!)

…and with a little wave from Brent I came over to photograph the VERY newly engaged couple!!!

As they were driving up, and I was taking photos of the lake, they said “ooh, that would be a pretty place to take some pictures!”

Little did Kelsey know, she was going to get photos of Brent proposing to her!!! :-D

Plus a few extra portraits around the area…

Thanks, Brent for including me in such a special and exciting moment of your relationship!! Congrats again to you and Kelcey!!

I met Tyler + Lindy in Battle Lake, Minnesota for their engagement session yesterday and I’m pretty sure I fell in love.

With their smiles. With the way they laugh with each other. With their kindness. With her shoes. :-)

I am SO excited to photograph their wedding this November… and to be able to say I know the owner of Zorbaz on Ottertail… yep, this girl’s got connections. :-)

Tyler + Lindy – thanks so much for being so fabulous! You guys seriously know how to look good!! And Tyler, thanks for being such a great prop. :-)

I love getting to know couples during their engagement session – it allows me to see a glimpse of their personalities and how truly in love they are. From John and Rachel’s session on Saturday, this is what I learned:

They love to run, hike and dig in the dirt (he’s a geophysicist, she’s a paleontologist).

The dinosaurs at Dinosaur Park are not the most accurate depictions of the ‘real deals.’ (Believe me, Rachel taught me all about how the T-Rex’s tail does NOT drag on the ground. :-))

Despite the historically incorrect figures, Dinosaur Park in Rapid City is where John and Rachel got engaged, making it the perfect location for a few engagement photos! :-)

As we’re walking down the hill, I stop for a couple more photos and Rachel announced that this was the very spot where John proposed.

Can I get a collective “awwwww?!”

I don’t know if it was my jokes, or how special John makes her feel, but Rachel was full of giggles and I LOVED it! :-)

A quick outfit/scenery change – don’t these two look great in anything and everything?!

Rachel – I was serious about your boots – they are sooo cute! It’s probably dangerous that we wear the same size shoe.

And last but not least… the ring!

John + Rachel – thanks so much for braving the ‘Indiana winter’ weather.

Also, a special shout-out to Shangri La: The Hideaway Boutique for the adorable outfits Rachel was wearing!

Your wedding photographer is the one person you hire for your wedding who will be spending the majority of the day with you.

Your wedding day. The day that you and your fiance become Mrs. and Mr. until death do you part. The day that you have been planning for months or even years! And you’re going to hire someone to document your entire love story come together with the unity of marriage. And they’ll be there. All. Day. Long.

Aside from whether or not you really LOVE the photos you’re going to get from this photographer (which you should – you’re hiring him/her!!) this person should be able to make you genuinely smile. They should make you feel completely comfortable in front of the camera. I believe that hiring a photographer should be more than just the photos they take. It should be a combination of their talent AND personality that you base your decision on.

By loving your photographer (their good looks (photos) and their charm (personality)) I’m sure you will feel super comfortable with them being around you all day long. And who doesn’t deserve to be comfortable on their wedding day?! :-)

p.s. I don’t care if this is the third time this image has been on the blog – I just love how in LOVE Dan + Kalina are!! And their wedding is only a little over a month away! Hip, hip hooray!!