It was a crisp February evening when I got to meet up with Ryan and Katie again at Royal Palms for their engagement session! This location has become a pretty special place to them as this is also where they first celebrated their proposal as well! I will never forget how sweet Ryan was as I walked up to meet them with big hugs and tell them how amazing they looked Ryan spoke up right away ” yeah Katie did such a great job picking out our outfits!”  My jaw could have hit the floor! Most guys are … how do I say, “not loving the ideas of photos for an hour” and are quick to complain about having to get dressed up for it. Not Ryan! He was so sweet and complimentary of his bride to be and even though its a small thing, its a big thing! I love seeing how couples interact and Kate and Ryan are so affirming of each other and that makes a big difference in your relationship in the long haul! Their session led right into an amazing time together as their chemistry as they walked hand in hand, totally in love and looking amazing!

After having two special events here at the Royal palms, I kinda think this is officially their spot and need to book their 1 year anniversary weekend here too! Lol. 🙂 Katie and Ryan you guys are the best! Thank you for letting me take a peek into your sweet love story and capture you during this amazing time in your life! I absolutely cannot wait for your wedding this fall! Woohoo! Much love, Jenn

Katie’s version of their proposal is amazing… read on my friends!

“Ryan and I had talked about getting engaged but I had no idea when it was going to happen. A few weeks before his Mom reached out and said she had a gift card that was going to expire at El Chorro and would like to take us. I thought nothing of it and it was going to be like any other dinner. That week there were a few things that made me a little suspicious but on our way to dinner his Mom called saying there were running late and to sit down without them. When we got there the reservation was under her name, the table was set for four so to be honest I was a little disappointed. He could tell something was off and asked me what was wrong, and I mentioned that I thought we were going to get engaged. He then proceeds to tell me “No, not tonight but you like I love you” and went into all the reasons why to (what I thought) was to ease my mind. But in the end, he got down on one knee and goes “but I am proposing. Will you marry me?” He had a photographer hiding and he captured the entire thing. It was absolutely perfect!”” – Kate

“The first time I said I love you was actually a few months after we started dating, when we were back at UofA for homecoming. We were at Dirtbag’s with all of our friends and towards the end of the night we met eyes and I told her. It only took her two seconds to tell me she felt the same. I tell her I love her everyday.” – Ryan

“There are many things that make Kate amazing, she’s funny, beautiful, intelligent, but what I love most, is her desire to spend quality time with me. Since we started dating, it was obvious that she valued me as the most important thing in her life. The feeling you get, knowing someone loves you and wants to spend all their time with you, is incredible. She constantly pushes us to try new things, travel to different places and ride our bikes to new happy hour spots. It’s the one on one time with her that I love most, and I’m lucky to have her as my lifelong partner.” – Ryan

“Ryan and I had been friends for years before we officially started dating so to be honest when we decided to see if there was more between us I was a little nervous to see if we would have a physical connection. It was our second date, we had gone to dinner and when he was dropping me off there was that moment where I didn’t know if I should get out or if we were going to kiss when he leaned in and went for it. It was perfect!” – Kate

“Ryan is the kindest person I know. Whether it was him willing to watch reality tv with me, going out of his way to run an errand for me or telling me he loves me very single day I couldn’t imagine loving him more. But the moment that sticks out the most, when I knew I loved him, was just a random day. Work had been stressful, and he knew it wasn’t the best day for me so that night he came over to my apartment and brought my favorite sprinkles cupcake. I didn’t even remember telling him my favorite flavor or how much I loved cupcakes, but he had been listening and that alone made me fall hard. He was a keeper : ).” – Kate

“Our relationship works so well because we have so many things in common. We love to travel and explore new cities, watch UofA basketball, see and spend time with family, and we share the same idea for a great Friday night (happy hour then a movie on the couch).

On the flip side, we also allow each other to enjoy the things that we don’t share a common desire for. I have my own time to go play golf, watch sports and hangout with my friends. Kate loves going to brunch and shopping with her friends. Allowing us to have own time to do what we enjoy is a vital part to our healthy relationship. It’s a great balance that really works for us.” – Ryan