Cortney and Corey met us on a Friday evening for the perfect fall engagement session! We began at Cantebury Hill Winery in Holts Summit where Corey proposed earlier this year! The winery holds such a sentimental value to Cortney and Corey, so it only made sense to go back and photograph some of their portraits here! The evening was breezy so we had to be patient and wait for the perfect times to capture portraits. Cortney and Corey were shy at first, but quickly warmed up to the camera as the night went on. These two are cute as can be and we adored getting to know them better as couple as we strolled around the venue where Cortney said “YES!” to Corey! They are so smitten with one another, it’s clear to see they are a match made in heaven! Once they both warmed up to the camera, Corey had Cortney laughing and giggling every time he would whisper in her ear. Her eyes would light up each time Corey pulled her in close; it was adorable to witness the giddiness they share when they are with one another!
Next, we ventured to another location that holds sentimental value to Cortney and Corey! We arrived to the cutest lake location in Brazito, Missouri where the two fell in love! At this time in the evening, the sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky and we had the most beautiful light peering through the vibrant fall foliage! This location was absolute perfection and we are so glad they chose it! Cortney and Corey changed into a more casual outfit and they looked so warm and snuggly for the remainder of the session. No matter what we asked these Cortney and Corey to do, they were up for anything we threw their way! When we saw an older boat on the property, we knew we had to get these two in the water! It created some of the most romantic shots of the evening. We love how they went along for the adventure and had fun doing so! The session was coming to a close and we noticed the sun fading quickly into the horizon, so we walked towards this gorgeous field that had golden light casted over it! Cortney and Corey were wrapped up with one another in a blanket and it was the most perfect way to end their session!
Their Love Story
Cortney and Corey both lived in the Jefferson City, Missouri their entire lives, however, they actually first met at Cortney’ cousin’s wedding in South Carolina almost 10 years ago (in June 2010). Corey was there with Courtney’s cousin Josh. They did not spend much time together on that trip, but they do remember meeting each other and seeing each other there. Fast forward five years, and the two would re-meet on Cinco de Mayo of May 2015. Corey was hanging out with a group of friends (including her cousin Josh) at a Mexican restaurant. Josh invited Cortney out to join them, and when she arrived, Corey and Cortney quickly made the connection that they had actually already met on the trip to South Carolina several years prior.
On June 20, 2015, Cortney’s family was spending the day at their property on Lake Carmel in Brazito, Missouri. She decided to invite Corey and several of his friends to come and join them for the day. They all came, and everyone enjoyed a fun and beautiful day together! As the sun started to set, everybody left except for the two of them. They spent the evening talking, laughing, star gazing, listening to music, and getting to know each other under the beautiful summer night sky. Cortney remembers feeling happy and safe. She felt like she had known Corey all her life. Corey also says he felt happy, comfortable, and was able to be open and honest which is something he had never felt with anyone else before! Though they didn’t tell each other at the time, Cortney and Corey both knew they could see themselves falling in love and spending forever together as they were looking up at the stars on that first date at Lake Carmel!
How He Asked
Cortney’s point of view: Corey and Cortney had been together for over three and a half years, so she had anxiously been awaiting a proposal for a while. On the night he proposed, he asked her out on a date because it was a weekend she finally had a break from all of the work she had been doing for her job as a teacher and for her master’s degree. Corey convinced Cortney that they needed to dress up and take some time to focus on “them” since they finally had a rare chance to do so. Cortney took her time getting ready that night (unknowingly making them late for the surprise he had planned), but she knew she wanted to look her best. When they got ready to head out the door, it started pouring down rain, so Cortney put on her hot pink raincoat, and they ventured out for dinner at Canturbury Hill Winery in Holts Summit.
When they arrived at the winery, they rushed from the car to the awning by the entrance of the restaurant to get out of the rain. Before Cortney could open the door, Corey asked her if she was sure she wanted to go in right away. When Cortney told him yes, because it was cold and rainy, he said there was something he wanted to ask her before they went in because he had been waiting to ask for a long time and couldn’t even wait another second! Then, right there under the awning on the patio at the winery, with the rain falling down all around the two of them, while Cortney was wearing her hot pink raincoat, Corey got down on one knee, said a bunch of nice things with tears in his eyes, and asked her to spend forever with him! He put the most beautiful ring that he had picked out himself on her finger, and Cortney said yes! He didn’t notice, but while he was on one knee, Pat Benetar’s “We Belong” was playing over the speaker system in the background. Cortney thought he had it planned (which he didn’t), but it gave the moment a perfect “Love Story” kind of vibe, and that song has now become a “thing’ for the happy couple! When they went inside the winery for dinner, their families including his parents, her parents and brother, and her grandma were all waiting at a table to congratulate them. There was so much happiness and love all around them, and Cortney loved how perfect it was!
Corey’s point of view: Even though Corey knew he wanted to ask Cortney to marry him, the actual proposal was not an easy thing to do. He wanted to surprise her, and he was finding it difficult to find a good way to do it. Corey finally made a plan to take her somewhere nice, but he had to make it seem like it was a normal thing they would do. Corey decided he would take Cortney to Canterbury Hill Winery in Jefferson City. To make the proposal even more special and meaningful, he decided to have our their family’s there as well because of how important they are in both of their lives! Since he wanted it to be a surprise, Corey thought it would be best if he waited to invite their parents until the day of the proposal. Cortney and Corey had planned to go to church that evening with her parents and her grandma and as they left there, Corey texted Cortney’s mom and told her to meet them at the Winery. However, they didn’t go straight to the winery because Cortney wanted to freshen up a little before going out for what she thought would be a date with just the two of them.
While she got ready, Corey paced back and forth in the living room, checking multiple times to make sure he had the ring in my pocket. During this time, the weather took a turn and started pouring down. Finally, they left for the winery as the rain continued to fall. When they arrived to the winery, Cortney threw on the hood of her pink raincoat and they made their way to the entrance. As they approached the front door, under the awning and out of the rain, Corey said, “Before you go in, there’s something I want to ask you!” She turned back and looked at Corey as he grabbed her hand. Corey then proceeded to tell her all of the things he love about her and how happy she makes him. As Cortney realized what was happening, she exclaimed, “In my raincoat!” Corey got on one knee, pulled out the ring he had picked out and asked her to marry him! They went inside and happy tears began to fall when she saw their parents, who had been accompanied by her grandma and brother. They told them all the good news and celebrated the rest of the evening!
It’s clear that these two share something special and we adored watching their love shine on camera! We cannot wait for their summer wedding day next year! Enjoy some of our favorites from their session!
