A naval base and the redwoods - two unique and great spots for an engagement session. The sweet Diana Carolynn photographed these two and did such a wonderful job! Thank you for sharing this engagement session with me!
From the couple: First off, Diana was awesome! Jeff and I are generally a not publicly affectionate couple, and she was so good at making us feel at ease and finding poses that worked for us. I felt like she was really focused on us enjoying the moment and taking some time to relax and be together. I also love how she works with light, all her photos have a very special, ethereal glow to them. You can tell that she loves life, and she approaches every shot with a sort of reverence for each moment she captures. It's really incredible to be a part of.
Their love story: We met while on a trip to Ensenada, Mexico. Jeff was leading a team of students responsible for feeding aid workers who were doing various building, medical, and education projects while on their spring break. I happened to be on his team :) We had a great/stressful time in Ensenada, and remained friends for the following year, occasionally getting yogurt or breakfast to catch up. In the summer of 2010, sparks flew over homemade bruschetta. After many dates to restaurants with vegan-friendly dishes (I was vegan. Jeff was supportive.), long walks on the beach, stargazing, giggling, and the best conversations of my life, we became an official couple on July 10, 2010. Jeff went off to complete his masters at UCLA that fall and I stayed in Santa Barbara to complete my undergrad. We visited each other as often as possible and wrote as many emails as our crazy schedules would allow, and before we knew it, we had both graduated and were ready to live in the same city. We moved to Alameda in the fall of 2011 and have been happily residing there and working in San Francisco ever since.
The proposal: While walking in a Manito Park in Spokane, Washington, Jeff "got something caught in his shoe." He sat down on a bench. I sat next to him. "What's this in the dog's collar?" he said. I turned around. He was on one knee... The question was asked, and after very little breathing and an excessive amount of head nodding, I managed a "Yes!" To celebrate, Jeff surprised me with a private dinner for 6 which included us, Jeff's parents, Jim and Valerie, and my parents, Den and Meg (all the way from Massachusetts!).
