I was so excited for this engagement session and not just because the location was breathtaking–we flew out to Colorado and shot this session at Daniel’s Gate Park right outside of Denver–but also because I knew going into it that this couple was something special. Sally & Erik met during their time in college at the University of Iowa. “We had mutual friends and had been introduced briefly one time, but the first time we actually met was New Years Eve. I was going to Chicago with some girlfriends to celebrate downtown and heard that some of our friends from college would be joining. My girlfriends and I had booked a room at a hotel for the night and decided everyone in the group would meet there first and then go out to the celebration. I’ll never forget when Erik walked in the door with his friends. I was instantly curious about him and wanted to get to know him more. He was wearing a black suit and looked very handsome.

“After Erik and his friends (some of whom were mutual friends) arrived, we were all reintroduced and decided to head out to the event which was being held downtown. I’ll never forget how cold it was that night! When waiting for a car, Erik offered me his jacket which I was giddy on the inside about. What really stood out to me that night was how polite, kind, and gentle Erik was. He took the time to open doors, listen and ask questions about where I was from, and fine out what my interests were.

“Erik and I strayed from our group a little to find a more quiet corner where we could talk at one point during the night. It was so nice to be able to talk and get to know each other more without the music and people. As the night went on we danced, talked some more, and had a little bubbly! At midnight, they had a toast and then counted down until to the New Year. As midnight struck, I looked around and all my friends had a New Year’s kiss. I turned around and saw Erik, who took my hand and gave me a sweet little kiss. I tend to be very shy and modest, so my plan was going to be to just hide in the corner and wait til the infamous midnight had struck. But in the most polite and gentle way, he gave me a small kiss and said thank you for a great night.

“After midnight I was getting tired and one of my friends wasn’t feeling good and wanted to go back to the hotel, so I decided to ask the group and see who all wanted to come back with us. No one answered, except Erik which I am so thankful for! It was impossible to find a cab and not only did my friend not feel too well, but her shoes began to hurt also. So Erik, like the gentleman he was, carried her back to the hotel with me in the freezing cold for probably 5 or 6 blocks. I’ll never forget messing up the GPS getting back to the hotel and steering us the wrong way and Erik not getting upset or anything, just going with the flow and helping out.”

Sally & Erik recently moved to the Denver area and we obviously are not familiar with the area either so we relied on some suggestions from friends as well as a bit of scouting beforehand. We settled on Daniel’s Gate Park which was absolutely breathtaking. They had wanted to capture the mountains and the views that they now call home and I’m so so so excited with how perfect the weather and location was for them!

After they finished school in Iowa, they moved to Minnesota for work. Erik proposed while they were living there (they now live in Colorado–obviously–and are getting married in Iowa next year!) “The day was spent outside in Minnesota, sending time with friends and enjoying the beautiful summer weather. Erik had been acting strange all day. When we went paddle boarding with our friends, he was in such a rush to get home before dinner. We had planned to go to our favorite restaurant with all of our friends. When we got done paddle boarding, Erik was very persistant about going on a walk. I had been exhausted from exploring and paddle boarding, but finally (after some persuading) agreed to go. I was planning on wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but all of a sudden all my girlfriends started texting me saying they were wearing dresses so I quickly threw on a summer white dress! We headed out to a park that we frequently walked to and love to go to since it was so close by. As we were walking, I noticed Erik seemed very off. He was not really focused on anything I was asking or saying. When we get to the park I start to turn around to come home and he suggested we walked over to some trees. We walked between the trees and the sun was just beaming through them, creating such a beautiful scene and he began to talk. I don’t even know if I remember what he said, it was all so amazing and such a blur! He got down on one knee, asked me to marry him, and I said yes! Then all of our closest friends jumped out from the trees to surprise us! They had been taking pictures and were watching the whole time. They threw us a celebration party after and we grilled out in their backyard and celebrated. It was amazing.”

They are a perfect match for each other. Erik says that Sally is “the nicest, most positive person I have ever met before. She is always selfless, kind, and happy.” And Sally describes him as being hard-working and generous. “He is always willing to help others out and give to others. He is also the most hard-working and humble person I know. He gets to work before anyone else and is so devoted to each and every one of his office members. He is so humble about his accomplishments and does not like any recognition. His desire to work hard so that I can be a stay-at-home mom someday is so admirable and I can’t wait for our future together.”

Sally & Erik, thank you so much for bringing me out to Colorado! It was such a joy to meet you both and I’m so excited for your wedding next summer! I hope these images bring smiles to your faces and capture you guys exactly as you are in this beautiful new place you call home.