From the lush woods and friendly trails, to the scenic views and darling bridges. Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is a stunning location for all types of portrait sessions. And a surprise proposal from John was made even sweeter in this stunning location as he included so many friends and family! Prepared to be smitten with this couple’s charming story (and beautiful images).

Dallas Wedding Photographers – Change of Plans

2020 was a wild year of challenges and changes. But amidst it all, fate was working on bringing me closer to Laura and John’s families as I was originally meant to photograph John’s mom’s wedding (the lovely Kristen) that year. Sadly, Covid had different plans for their special day and we didn’t end up working together. (But, I’ve been reassured it ended up a beautiful and special celebration regardless!)

But here’s the beautiful twist! When John was making plans to propose to Laura earlier this year, Kristen reached back out to me. I was so incredibly thrilled to end up being part of her son’s special moment! I feel so honored to be capturing their love story and am eagerly awaiting their June 2024 wedding at The Room on Main in Dallas!

Arbor Hills Nature Preserve Proposal

Now, let’s dive into the incredibly sweet details of John’s proposal plan. Are you ready for this? He orchestrated the whole thing with five separate groups of friends and family! I’m talking close family, friends, and even childhood pals from out of town – truly beyond thoughtful! The man deserves a medal for organizing a plan to this extent with so many moving parts and people involved! *slow clap for John*

In order to surprise Laura, one of her close friends invited her for a picnic and a cute photoshoot day at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve. They had been talking about doing a fun photoshoot for the ‘Gram for forever. So, the hope was that the invite wouldn’t feel too suspicious. And that they could get her to the park without too many questions…

Now, here’s the tear-jerker moment – as Laura and her friends strolled into the park to “set up their picnic”, they were surprised by each of the 5 groups of loved ones, one by one, as they walked deeper and deeper into the park. Eventually, after many tears and tons of laughter, Laura made her way up to the observation tower where John got down on one knee and proposed. Cue all of the tears – it was such an incredibly sweet and emotional moment!

We then did a quick “just engaged” session before they went off to celebrate with their friends and family at an intimate surprise reception. These two are the sweetest (and funniest lol) couple, the emotions were raw and beautiful and I was so honored to capture these moments for them!

John & Laura’s Story

John and Laura’s story is pretty cute! They met back in high school, despite the fact that they were both in a single-gender school. Their schools were “brother-sister” schools and they happened to run in the same circles. With Laura on the drill team and John in the band. Although they weren’t super close in school, life had something else in store for them.

They ended up having more of an opportunity to get to know each other once they were in college. And although they initially thought it would never be anything more than friends, eventually sparks flew and they’ve basically been inseparable ever since.

Laura describes their relationship as reminiscent of Monica and Chandler’s, with their own unique twist. She’s organized and chatty, while he’s a bit more reserved but always ready with a sarcastic or witty remark. Their friends have said they’ve been like an old married couple from day 1. Ha! They bounce off each other so well – and make a great team!

To John and Laura, congratulations on this beautiful milestone! And thank you for letting me capture these precious memories for you! I absolutely adore you both and can’t wait to witness the magic unfold during your wedding next year!

If you’re looking for a Dallas wedding photographer to capture your own love story, please reach out here! I’m always excited to connect and learn more about your unique story and vision for your own wedding day. Let’s create some unforgettable memories together!