The history of engagement photos is beyond me. I am guessing that twenty to thirty years ago it wasn’t as popular to have an engagement shoot. Maybe it was, and I am totally wrong. I’ll admit my lack of intellect in the area.

I will also admit my lack of experience in this area as well, clearly.

Because taking engagement photos has become a staple item on the wedding check-list, my fiancé and I searched for a photographer, coordinated a shoot for when we had moved to Colorado, and then (the night before) had one of my best friends fashion-proof our planned attire.

The morning of our engagement session, I remember thanking God for a chance to take our photos in Colorado, for this stage of our lives, and for this day representing yet another moment that would bring us closer to the start of our lives together.

What I hadn’t done was check the weather. A few days before, the forecast showed sun, sun, and more sun. A couple hours before, the forecast showed thunderstorms, thunderstorms, and more thunderstorms. Nearly one hour before the session,we got a call from our photographer asking if we wanted to reschedule. Because of the busy schedules ahead, we wouldn’t have been able to get them taken for another month, so I told her that we would “take our chances, pack some umbrellas, and be spontaneous.”

As my fiancé and I drove to the spot we had chosen for the shoot, it was down pouring. Hard. We could hardly see out the windows, the sky was dark, and I started to question how “spontaneous” I could be.

I even ended up wearing a completely different outfit than planned because I didn’t want to wear a white skirt in the rain…

Yet, the showers let up, the sky partially cleared, and we started the session close to on time. We giggled with the photographer and were in awe of the photos we were able to take in such crazy conditions.

I am thankful the photographer was so great at telling us how to pose and what to do because both Adam and I can be a little awkward when it comes to taking “natural” photos. We had a great time, and we even got some really awesome shots!

Looking back, I realize that my prayer was honest and true–more-so than I thought. I had imagined this night to be yet another stepping stone directed to our big day. However, it also signified what the rest of our lives will be like. We will need to be spontaneous. We will need to take things as they come. We will need to occasionally wait out the storm, while side by side. We will see clear skies. We will giggle. We will meet incredible people.

Our engagement photo session was the perfect depiction of what we will go through as time passes, and for that, I am even more excited.

If anyone is looking for tips on engagement photos, I have a few:

  1. Don’t reschedule due to inclement weather 🙂
  2. Don’t worry about feeling awkward because if you find a good photographer, she will make the experience feel natural and fun!
  3. I highly recommend going through YellowPaddle if you are in the Denver area, and if you do, work with Veronica Sparks. She is great!
  4. Enjoy, because this is yet another stepping stone headed toward your big day…and a life full of ups and downs.

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