Her friend, Heather, loves playing matchmaker and had trying for months to set them up. Heather & her husband Greg had a housewarming party on Memorial Day weekend in 2009 and Heather seized the opportunity to introduce Mollie & Jake. There was no forewarning. Heather simply introduced them and then disappeared. “We were left here with no real points of conversation to work with and knew absolutely nothing about one another other than Heather thought we would make a good pair,” Mollie says. “We talked for hours that night on a swing in their front yard and I remember thinking how refreshing it was to speak with someone to humble and genuine, not saying the right things to make me like him, but really letting me get to know who he was and what he was all about.

“One of the points that stood out the most was hearing him talking about farming; how he grew up farming with his dad and brothers and how it evolved into a farming career of his own. It’s infectious to hear how much pride he takes in what he does and how rewarding it is to see the fruits of your labor each season. I could tell so much about him from the way he told that story…his values, his family, ambition, and work ethic, all of which are some of my favorite things about him.”

Jake filled me in on the details of their proposal. “I basically re-enacted the night of our first date. We had gone to Blackstone for dinner. I remember  that I really didn’t have a plan for after dinner, probably just letting it play out and see how it went. [Our date] was great and I knew that when we finished dinner, I didn’t want things to be over so I started scrambling. In my previous job about the Iowa City area, I worked with farmers surrounding the corridor and knew just about every back road to every farm place in the country. I knew that all I wanted to do was just go somewhere and talk.

“This great little park along Lake MacBride came to mind. I knew the shortest way to get there and it involved back roads. What I didn’t consider is the impression I was making by taking a a girl that I was just getting to know down some dark, shady gravel roads at 10:00 at night. Needless to say, she put blind trust in me and we made it to the park and sat there talking for probably an hour that night.

“Thankfully, the weather was nice enough on December 16, 2012 that I could again take her to that same restaurant and same park and ask her to be my wife.”

Mollie says that all she ever could have asked for was something simple and sentimental and he delivered on both! I’d say…

Ohmigosh, how cute is Mollie?!?

This is the very same swing on which they spent that first evening talking for hours. Many thanks to their friends, Greg & Heather, for letting us roam free on their property!

Their dog, Ozzie, loves the farm and joined us for some of their photos.

It’s rather miraculous that I got these photos because he really, really wanted to run around with the cows and farm dog.

After wrapping up at the farm, we went to Lake MacBride to the spot where Mollie & Jake had their first date and also where Jake had proposed. I love that both of their special places are also so beautiful!

It was way past sunset by this time (I was shooting 1/60th at f/2.8, ISO 1600 if that gives you any idea!), but because this place is so special, I knew it was really important to capture them here. It was almost right in this spot where Jake proposed.

Mollie & Jake, thanks so much for letting me capture your love. You guys are truly so special and I’m so, so, so excited to witness your wedding day. Xo!! E