Oh how I have been counting down the days to this session! I’ve known Caralee since she was in elementary school with my younger sister. They became fast best friends and Caralee spent a lot of time over at my parents house when we were growing up! Their friendship was something I always admired, and I love how they have managed to stay close after all of these years! Where ever my sister was, you knew Caralee wasn’t much further behind her! They were practically joined at the hip throughout their time at Blair Oaks! My sister and Caralee’s spunky and fun personalities bring out the pure joy in each other! I’ll never forget all the sleepless nights we had growing up because my sister and Caralee would be busting out laughing over who knows what until the early morning hours! They would say one thing and then just giggle and carry on for hours! It was quite hysterical when you think about it now! Finding a true friend to laugh with you over absolutely nothing is one of the best things!
Over the years, I think it’s safe to say I’ve gotten to see Caralee’s true personality, and it’s so good to see that Kyle has the ability to bring that out in her! She can be unapologetically herself and in the short time I’ve gotten to know Kyle, he seems to be his goofy self around Caralee! When Caralee and Kyle are around each other, you see such a joyfulness in their smiles, and such happiness in their eyes. I’m so happy they have found each other because they are such a perfect match. They really do balance each other out and it’s amazing to see! So needless to say, after all of these years, this was such a delight to photograph Caralee with her fiance Kyle!
We had been planning the session for several weeks and I was so excited when we settled on Haha Tonka State Park in Camdenton, Missouri for the location. The park is absolutely beautiful and spans over several acres. There are breathtaking views of the rolling hills, wooden pathways, and castle ruins surrounded by gorgeous scenery. Every direction we turned had us over the moon in excitement! And can we talk about the light for a second? It was so dreamy and the glow was something right out of a fairytale. Maybe I’m biased, but I really do think these images look magical. I love the way the light filtered perfectly through the tree branches making this moment in time stand still in pure beauty. This session was perfection!
It’s clear to see in every photo that these two are meant to be! The way that Kyle looks at Caralee is the way everyone deserves to be looked at by a significant other! They are such a darling pair and they share a love so enduring and sweet! With a couple like these two, gorgeous surroundings, and beautiful spring light, you know we were in heaven all evening! I love their joy. I love how their personalities shine through, I love how in these images, you can see small glimmers into their relationship. This is always such an exciting and fun season when a couple is engaged, and we couldn’t feel more honored to have documented such a special time for Caralee and Kyle!
Their Love Story
Caralee and Kyle met through a mutual friend in August of 2016 when they were both invited to go wake boarding at the Lake of the Ozarks. Soon after the two first met, they shared a first date in Jefferson City at the River access. An evening was well spent losing track of time as they talked for hours down by the river! They ended the night on a high note and stopped in to get frozen yogurt. They both enjoyed each others company and had a great time. A few short months later, and Kyle would ask Caralee to be his girl friend.
Early on in the relationship, they knew they had met the right person for them! On their first official trip together, they realized how much they had in common and how they truly enjoyed doing the same things with each other. They both loved how they could be themselves around one another. During a Farris wheel ride, “it hit me, this was it!” they remember thinking.
How He Asked
Caralee was pretty sure a proposal was in the works when they went ring shopping together a little over a year into the relationship! They have a favorite spot on the lake where they had placed “love locks” the year before. Kyle drove the boat to the spot saying they were just checking on the “love locks.” Once they arrived to the locks, Kyle popped the question, and what a sweet moment is was! We couldn’t be any happier for these two and we cannot wait until they officially tie the knot!
Enjoy some of our many favorites from their sweet spring engagement session! Be sure to check out the highlight film crafted by my sister with Major Films at the bottom of this post! You can also follow along with her new journey on Instagram!
