They met in high school English class. “AJ was (and still is) outgoing and fun,” Piper recalled. “I was much more of a rule follower and would spend class time getting my work done. AJ would walk with me to my car after class was over and was always really nice to me, but it took me a long time to get the hint that he was wanting to ask me out.”

Their first date was a local hike, but it had been raining the days before and the whole trail was wet and muddy so they had to pick their way along, following instead of walking side-by-side. “It was hard to talk as we walked in a single-file line,” AJ said. They ended up being completely covered in kick-up mud by the end and finished with some food at Steak ‘n Shake.

After they began dating, their moms came across photos of them together in preschool. No one had any memory of it, but the photos were there: little Piper and AJ in the same class.

After years of high school and college together, they moved to Des Moines for their jobs. Piper knew a proposal was coming at some point, but wanted it to be a surprise so they devised a plan to go on dates planned by AJ and that she couldn’t ask questions about. “AJ would tell me what type of clothes to wear and that was it! One Thursday night, AJ had me get ready to go out for dinner. We got drinks down by the Sculpture Park in Des Moines and then walked to the 801 Grand and had a nice dinner in there. On our walk back to the car, he proposed in the Sculpture Park. It was perfect and just us. We went home and enjoyed time on our deck talking and just having fun. We did not tell parents and friends until a day or so after!”

For their engagement session, we met in Des Moines to capture them in their current hometown. We started at the Mills Rose Garden, where the mixture of pathways and florals and symmetrical lines made for a gorgeous backdrop. It was absolutely sweltering outside; the temperature was only 82°, but the humidity made the heat index well over 100°. I, for one, was dripping, but Piper and AJ remained gorgeous the whole way through.

After the rose garden, we went to the Iowa State Capitol for the rest of their session, getting more historical architecture in the photos as well as the Des Moines skyline. We truly had so much fun (and were all craving a cold shower when we finished) and the way these two interact with each other made it so easy. I can’t wait to join them again on their wedding day next April!!

“AJ is someone who makes me feel safe and comfortable in all aspects of life,” Piper said. “We have been through many stages of life together and, in each one of those, we have been able to be there for one another and have a ton of fun together too. He makes the simple things in life fun and I can’t picture my life without him. He is someone I want to tell everything to and that I get excited to see every time we are apart. He is someone who I know will always be there for me and push me to be the best version of myself. He knows me better than myself at times. It is so fun learning how to go through life together and I can’t want to keep growing together through all of the years to come.”