Spring is finally in the air and we couldn’t be more excited after the LONG winter we just experienced! We met with Danielle and Phil in Columbia on one of the most perfect spring days. The temperature was absolutely perfect and the gorgeous rays of sunshine had us swooning over the perfect weather. We originally had Danielle and Phil’s engagement session scheduled for later in the week, but after seeing rain in the forecast for their session date, we decided to move it up two days earlier! What a perfect decision that was! I don’t think we could have chosen a better day! From the moment Danielle and Phil arrived, we knew it was going to be amazing. They were both dressed to impress and immediately became such naturals in front of the camera!
We enjoyed strolling around the University of Missouri campus, where they both attended their undergrad and graduate programs. It only made sense that we take portraits at a location that has played such a significant role in both of their lives! We are loving spring and the fact that everything is starting to bloom and become green again. It just makes our little photographer hearts so happy! We found one tree on campus that was in full bloom and we utilized this spot for a large portion of time! Hand in hand, Danielle and Phil walked around campus as we stopped at many fun spots along the way. We love their chemistry and undeniable connection they share. Danielle’s eyes just light up when Phill would whisper fun things in her ear! We enjoyed having these two in front of our lens and loved our evening filled laughter spent with these two! We just adore these two and think they are the sweetest pair! We are so excited to get them back in front of our cameras this fall for their wedding!
Their Love Story
Danielle and Phil met in July of 2016! Phil had just graduated from medical school at Mizzou and started his residency program at the university. Danielle had just finished her first year of law school. They recall sort of randomly meeting each other one evening when they were both downtown with their respective friends. For their first date, Phil took Danielle to dinner at Babbo’s (They are so sad it is now closed!) where they enjoyed dinner with natural conversation, as they realized they had so many things in common. They are both extremely close with their families, they were both in the process of completing graduate programs, they both went to Mizzou for all of their higher education, they enjoy watching the same sports teams, and the list goes on! Danielle and Phil had such a lovely time spent at dinner, that the two decided to continue the date by going to a movie (Phil picked Star Trek and Danielle went along for the ride, despite not being a huge sci-fi fan)! All in all, the darling pair shared in wonderful evening together! Danielle remembers thinking how extremely impressed she was with how chivalrous Phil was the entire date!
About a year into the relationship, Danielle began to have thoughts that Phil was the one for her! They celebrated their 1 year anniversary by spending the day in St. Louis and going to a Cardinals baseball game. As Danielle began to reflect on the past one year of dating Phil, she began to think about their future and how perfectly they fit into each other’s lives. Danielle always carried the thought in her mind from that point forward that she would one day want to spend forever with Phil, however, they didn’t actually begin to discuss spending the rest of their lives together until Danielle was in her final year of law school and they were both at a point where they we needed to start thinking about where they wanted to establish their careers.
How He Asked
Phil’s proposal was absolutely perfect! A month or two before he popped the question, he secretly asked Danielle’s parents to meet with him. After asking for their permission to propose to Danielle (and obviously her parents both said yes!), Phil started to plan the proposal. He secretly worked with his mom, Danielle’s mom and sister to plan the big night. The entire time they were planning, Danielle was studying to take the Bar exam and was completely oblivious!
The big day finally arrived, and Phil asked Danielle to go with him that Friday night to Les Bourgeois Winery to “celebrate their two year dating anniversary.” When they arrived, he bought a bottle of wine for them to enjoy. As they sat at a table, conversation began to flow, and the next thing Danielle recalls, is Phil popping the question! Danielle was completely shocked when Phil got down on one knee, but she immediately said yes! Phil had planned for both of their families to arrive shortly after them. They watched him propose from afar and then ran down to their table to celebrate with the newly engaged couple!
The surprises didn’t end there, To continue the perfect evening, Phil told Danielle he would be taking her to another location with their family. They drove up to a beautiful neighborhood clubhouse and were greeted by about 75 of their closest family and friends who were also there to help them celebrate! The whole clubhouse was decorated with photos of Danielle and Phil, along with engagement decor. They were met with a wonderfully catered meal and desserts and they enjoyed mingling with all of their friends and family. A family friends was there to document the sweet evening, so Danielle and Phil had fun taking pictures with everyone! It’s obvious that Phil is one sentimental guy, so to make the whole proposal even more special, Phil chose to propose to Danielle on her parents 33rd wedding anniversary!
How adorable is this story!? We just adore sweet love stories and well thought out heartfelt proposals, and this is definitely one for the books! Danielle and Phil, thank you for choosing us to document such a special season in your life! We loved getting to know you both at the engagement session, and cannot wait for your wedding day this fall! Enjoy a sweet peak into this gorgeous spring session!
