With the days getting shorter and cooler, I can’t help but think of warm and lazy summer evenings on the beach. Luckily, we can live vicariously through this engagement session captured by Michelle Mock Photography. From the groom to be: How did you meet? We met in college at Saint Louis University (“SLU”), where a mutual friend introduced us a few days after Chelsea had graduated. They invited me along on their float trip, and I pretty much immediately fell in love with Chelsea, which was a bummer because she was moving Portland, OR in less than a week. I still asked her out on a date, and we hung out every single day until she left, though I wasn’t graduating for another six months. Pretty much the moment I graduated I grabbed the first job I could in Portland, and asked Chelsea out before I left St. Louis. She decided to give me a chance instead of, you know, a restraining order. Then some other things happened and, hey, now we live on a beach in Florida and are getting married in two weeks.

How did you ask? I had asked permission from Chelsea’s dad in advance, and attempted to plan a surprise proposal trip to Portland before realizing that Chelsea’s friends and my sister were just way better at that stuff. We collaboratively picked out Chelsea’s ring, where to pop the question (the Portland Rose Garden) and how to pull it off. Ultimately, my contribution was ‘Yes, I can hide over there’, and ‘oh, okay, this is a sweet bouquet, thanks.’ Chelsea’s friends tricked her into going to the rose garden while letting her think it was her idea, where I surprised her with some flowers, a ring, and a whole bunch of hyperventilating. Afterwards, we went to Chelsea’s favorite restaurant (again, tricking her into thinking it was her idea, because everyone in her life is an evil genius) where a bunch of friends and family had flown in to surprise her. Why you love your bride . . . Chelsea’s the most sweet, upbeat, and optimistic person in the world. She’s just the best part of anyone’s day, and getting to spend time with her is an incredible privilege. There are really never bad days with Chelsea; only perfect days, or interesting ones. Some girls laying out at the beach get frustrated when it starts raining and ruins their hair and makeup, while Chelsea’s response is “Well, I’m already wet – no reason not to go in the water now” and jumps right in.

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