Two words come to mind when thinking about the session we had with Danielle and Ethan; pure joy. These two exude happiness and an undeniable connection! We officially met Danielle and Ethan in person at their engagement session at Wildcliff in Blackwater, Missouri. These two love birds are set to tie the knot here in the fall next year, so it only made sense that we photographed their portraits where they will say their I do’s. Wildcliff is such an extraordinary property with so much to offer. It’s truly a photographers haven with gorgeous natural light, serene water beneath the Cliffside, open flowy fields, and much more. One thing is for sure, this night was never short on laughter. We had so much fun venturing around documenting Danielle and Ethan in all their adorable giddiness!
Their Love Story
Ethan and Danielle went to college together at Truman State. They met their junior year through a mutual friend at a party. When Danielle went to find one of her girl friends at the party, she found her hanging out with Ethan. They all started talking and Danielle quickly realized that she and Ethan had lived in the same dorm building during their freshman year! She remembered seeing him a lot but never talked to him or anything. The pair chatted at the party for about an hour and as Danielle was leaving, Ethan attempted to whisper (he actually shouted) “Hey, I think you’re kind of cute!” When Danielle got back to the car, she told her friends what Ethan said. They immediately texted Ethan to give him Danielle’s number. The next day, Ethan messaged Danielle over Facebook, and that’s how it all started!
About a month after meeting at the party, Danielle and Ethan would share their first official date. Unfortunately, they met right before Christmas break and they both went home to their families for that month. They talked every day (24/7) during that time. By the time they actually went on a date, it felt like they had known each other for years! Danielle and Ethan went on a “date” the first night they were back at school. They were both dying to see one another; however, since it was kind of late at night, there weren’t as many options on where to go. So, they decided to go for a drive and just talk. Little did they know that a bad winter storm was coming. So they inevitably ended up having to go back to Danielle’s house to watch a movie! Danielle loved how comfortable their first date was. She liked that it didn’t feel like a typical awkward first date. Ethan remembers feeling overjoyed to finally be able to spend time with Danielle. Along with this, he felt very at ease around her. Things were just simple and fun!
Very early on, both Danielle and Ethan knew they “found the one.” Ethan knew from the beginning (around their second date) that he had met the girl of his dreams. He had a very strong feeling that he would be spending the rest of his life with her. Danielle knew Ethan was the right person for her over Christmas break before they even went on an official date. She could just tell that they clicked and she liked everything about him. After their first few dates, Danielle told herself that she would marry Ethan one day!
How He Asked
For the most part, Danielle was completely surprised by the proposal! About six months before Ethan proposed, he bought the ring. Danielle had found out that he had a ring because he accidentally told her in his sleep. After that, Ethan spent six months steering Danielle in different directions to cover up what he said in his sleep. Ethan kept telling her that it would probably happen after Christmas and the New Year. So, she knew it was coming soonish but was expecting it to happen sometime after the new year. Little did Danielle know that she was always close to the ring for MONTHS because he kept it hidden around the house and in his car.
A few months before the proposal, Ethan asked Danielle’s dad and brother for their permission to marry her. When that happened, it wasn’t long before her entire family knew that Ethan was planning to propose. Every time Danielle and Ethan did something together, her family would get all excited thinking it was going to happen. In December, Danielle and Ethan had plans to help her cousin move apartments in Texas. All of her family kept assuming that is when he was going to propose. Ethan and Danielle talked about it and he told her that he would not propose while they were in Texas because he didn’t want to take away time from visiting with her cousin.
Ethan planned on proposing the night they got to her cousins, but they ended up getting in late; so he had to change up his plans. The next day, after they finished moving her cousin to the new apartment, they went out to dinner. None of them bothered to change because they were so tired of moving things. After dinner, Danielle’s cousin and Ethan insisted that they go take pictures by a giant Christmas tree on the beach. As Ethan and Danielle were taking a picture, he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! Of course, Danielle did not hesitate to say yes because she could not wait to spend her life with him.
Enjoy some of our favorites from our time with them! Danielle and Ethan are the definition of true love.
