“It almost happened immediately,” Travis said.

“I knew on our first date,” Tayler added.

For Travis, he said it almost happened immediately, “but also slowly over time. She was so supportive right off the bat, but the way we clicked, it’s nothing I can really explain and do justice. I had never really experienced a feeling like I had with her.”

“I just had a feeling in my gut that he was good and that he was different,” Tayler said. “I normally have my guard up and am quick to cut things off and be my independent self, but the way I leaned into the idea of us together made me realize this was going to be it.”

By this past fall, they had been dating for three years. He knew that she expected something to happen soon, but he wanted to make sure she was surprised. (“Surprises are her absolute favorite.”) The day he picked up the ring, he decided he couldn’t wait any longer. “So I grabbed a chalkboard and wrote from the perspective of our pets, ‘Mom, will you marry our dad?'”

Tayler described the proposal as “SO UNEXPECTED. I was working late and had made a late dinner. We were cleaning up in the kitchen and he ran downstairs. He yelled up, ‘Hey, can you come down here?’ My response was, ‘Do I have to?’

“So I made my way downstairs and he was standing there holding our two cats, Llama and Nemo. Next to him on the TV stand was a chalk board reading, ‘Mom, will you marry our dad?’ along with the ring and a candle. He handed me the cats, got down on a knee, and asked the question. I just kept saying, ‘What?! Are you serious?!” He put the ring on my finger and we haven’t looked back!”

I got to spend this past Saturday at the family farm near Tayler & Travis’ home just north of Cedar Rapids. Tayler had requested a snowy engagement session so we had kept in touch throughout the winter, just waiting for some pretty snow. When we got our first snow a couple of weeks ago, we quickly coordinated calendars! The sun was shining, but it was definitely cold! (Almost 20°F!) We popped in and out shelter often and even had to hold our breaths (all of us!) at some points because you could visibly see their breath clouding over their faces or, in my case, my breath clouding my lens. They were incredibly gracious and brave and I absolutely adore the images that we were able to capture! Their wedding this summer will definitely be on the opposite end of the temperature spectrum!

BAM! Tayler in THIS GOWN!!!