Even though Katie and Abe now call Florida home, they happened to be back in Missouri for a short visit, which made it the perfect opportunity to capture their engagement session! We met in downtown Jefferson City on a beautiful summer evening and wandered around the Missouri State Capitol grounds while they were dressed to impress. The warm sunshine and gorgeous architecture made the perfect backdrop, but honestly, these two could make any location feel special!
One of my favorite things about photographing Katie and Abe was just how effortless their connection is! They are so comfortable with one another that documenting them felt completely natural. There was no forcing moments or trying to create chemistry, it was already there. The laughter, the smiles, the way they naturally gravitated toward one another, it all unfolded so effortlessly in front of my camera!
When Katie reached out before their session asking if we could end the evening with a picnic, I absolutely loved the idea. We tucked ourselves into the Governor’s Garden and created the sweetest little picnic to wrap up the session. They brought the most adorable custom heart shaped cake featuring their wedding date, popped a bottle of champagne, and spent the last part of the evening laughing, giggling, and enjoying delicious cake together. It was such a fun, personal way to end their engagement session and truly reflected who they are as a couple, happiest simply spending quality time together. It was the perfect ending to such a beautiful summer evening, and I left even more excited to celebrate alongside these two on their wedding day!
How They Met
When I first read through Katie and Abe’s questionnaire, one thing became abundantly clear, they are the kind of couple who find joy in the little things! Their story isn’t built on extravagant moments or grand adventures. Instead, it’s rooted in quiet evenings together, homemade cookies, grocery store trips, dreaming about their future home, and simply enjoying each other’s company.
Their story began during their time at the University of Missouri. Abe first noticed Katie while they were both involved with Mizzou’s introductory program for incoming business students. Standing on the rooftop of Heidelberg in Columbia, he immediately noticed how beautiful and confident she was as she effortlessly took charge of the room. By the time she made it over to his table, he already had a huge crush on her. Katie, on the other hand, laughs because she hardly remembers that first encounter. She was too busy running the program! It wasn’t until they found themselves in the same Financial Accounting class that they slowly began talking more and getting to know one another.
Their first date actually began with a surprise. The night before their official date, Katie showed up unexpectedly at Abe’s apartment with Hot Box Cookies for a fundraiser she was helping with. Abe said she clearly already knew the way to his heart was through sweets! The next day, they had their official first date, which included flowers Abe carefully arranged after calling his mom for advice, homemade peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, and an unexpected trip to the grocery store after realizing he had forgotten to buy peanut butter. Looking back, it’s one of their favorite memories because, even now, they still love wandering the grocery store together, making dinner, and simply spending time side by side!
One of my favorite moments from their story was when Abe shared the moment he realized Katie might be the one. During the summer after they started dating, Katie was living in St. Louis for an internship. After making dinner together and settling onto the couch to watch a movie, Katie fell asleep on his lap. In that quiet moment, Abe remembers promising himself that he would never forget how lucky he was to be the person she chose to fall asleep beside. It’s such a simple memory, but sometimes those are the moments that tell you everything you need to know!
How He Asked
Their proposal was every bit as thoughtful as the rest of their relationship! Knowing that visiting New York City during Christmastime had always been on both of their bucket lists, Abe planned the perfect proposal in Central Park with the Plaza Hotel in the background, which was a nod to one of their favorite movies, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Between secretly traveling with the ring, nervously making it through TSA, convincing Katie to head uptown, and trying to remember the speech he had planned, it was a day they’ll never forget!! When the moment finally came, all Abe could manage to say was, “Do you know how much I love you?” before getting down on one knee.
Today, Katie and Abe describe themselves as simple, low key people. Whether they’re making dinner together, watching HGTV while dreaming about their future home, visiting a local farmers market, grabbing dessert from Great American Cookie, or simply relaxing on the couch after a busy week, they genuinely enjoy life’s everyday moments together! Their relationship isn’t built on constant excitement, it’s built on friendship, intentional time together, and appreciating the little things!
As they prepare for their wedding day, what they’re looking forward to most isn’t just becoming husband and wife, it’s having all of their favorite people gathered together in one place to celebrate alongside them! And after spending time getting to know these two, it’s easy to see why so many people love them. Katie is incredibly hardworking, confident, and ambitious, while Abe is supportive, respectful, and endlessly caring. They truly complement one another in the sweetest ways, and I cannot wait to document the beginning of this next chapter of their story!
Katie and Abe, thank you for sharing your story with me. I cannot wait to celebrate with you both on your wedding day!
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