Emily and I go way back! We first met working together in Jefferson City at YoYums, while she was still in high school. We bonded over our similar sense of humor pretty instantly, and so our friendship began. At the time, I was photographing high school seniors. She had done beauty pageants for so long, and I thought she’d be the perfect assistant to come along to shoots with me. She has an infectious personality and always had people laughing. Bringing her along to all my sessions only elevated the experience for all my clients. From there, I started having her assist me at weddings. She was my go to girl! She’s been with me from the beginning, so now that she’s in her season of engagement, it’s been so fun having her on the other side of the camera!
Emily said that she and Nathan just wanted to do photos in downtown Jefferson City and finish the session at her family farm as the sun would be setting. I had a blast photographing their engagement session as we strolled around downtown and became immersed in the gorgeous changing scenery, now that fall is in full swing. They had beautiful weather and an evening full of Emily’s laughter. One thing is certain, wherever Emily is, you can guarantee laughter and giggles will follow. Emily and Nathan are an adorable pair and seem to perfectly balance each other out. Nathan may have a quiet demeanor but it’s so evident that he’s smitten with Emily.
We ventured to her family farm in Jefferson City towards the end of the session, to catch the sun setting along the tree lined driveway. Her mom met us there with her sweet dog. The farm is a gorgeous one with rolling hills lined with the vibrant ever-changing fall foliage. It was the perfect scenic backdrop to end the session on a high note. Emily is quite the fashionista and had her and Nathan dressed to impress the entire session. Her last outfit with the hat was a head-turner!
How They Met
Emily and Nathan both attended State Technical College of Missouri for Drafting and Design Engineering Technology. Emily was a year ahead of him in school, and she first noticed him when they would pass each other in the hall. Emily would always think, “hmm, that blonde is a cutie ;)”. She would occasionally pick on him because he would never close out of his stuff and she sat at the same computer he did when they would switch classrooms. If you ask Nathan, he’ll tell you he used to hate Emily.
Their first date was when they went to Buffalo Wild Wings and Nathan’s car battery died. While waiting for someone to jump his Altima, they ventured over to Kohls and Nathan watched Emily march around Kohls smelling ALL the candles. After dating for a bit, Emily and Nathan broke up for three or four months until they ultimately decided to get back together. They were inseparable and Emily and Nathan both quickly knew after they got back together that this was the real deal. Since Nathan works in KC, Emily knew about the third or fourth time of watching him leave on Sunday nights that she missed him too much when he was gone and cherished every moment when they were together.
How He Asked
In 2021, Emily and Nathan took their first trip to Gatlinburg, TN. In 2022, his family took a vacation to Gatlinburg and they were so excited to go back! Emily and Nathan had talked about getting engaged and even looked at rings, but she was told that he was going to wait until September/October time. One night, while in Gatlinburg, they got all dressed up, went to dinner to their favorite Mexican restaurant in Gatlinburg, and then they went up to the Skybridge since it lights up at night. Emily and Nathan watched the sunset, and walked around on one of the paths. Nathan got down on a knee and Emily instantly THOUGHT HE WAS KIDDING. She seriously asked if he was playing a prank on her. When he pulled out the ring, Emily was speechless. It was the perfect night!
I couldn’t be any more excited for Emily and her happily ever after! Seeing her find her person has been wonderful to witness. I cannot wait for their fall wedding day next year when we can finally dance to MJ on the dance floor, after all my photography duties are fulfilled, of course! Enjoy some of my favorites of this special pair!
