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Laura & Ryan – A Sunrise Donut Picnic Engagement Session || Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Lake of the Ozarks – Missouri

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August 8, 2017

 


The benches were pulled up to the long, family dinner table.
This guy named Ryan – sitting rather (adorably) close to my sister-in-law, Laura – made his debut.

Evidenced by the scientific conversation,
Sherlock Holmes references (Ryan’s last name is Holmes),
and that not-so-hidden look in his eye, I saw this ending well.

Meet: Ryan & Laura.
The perfect duo in wit, smarts, and unhindered laughter.
Their humility & kindness for & with each other
permeates not just their conversations, but their love story & adventures.

Donuts were brought from Kansas City and Missouri State Park maps were deliberated over.
The alarm chimed promptly at 4:30am.
With headlights on and Stephen’s too enthusiastic playlist blaring,
we ventured out to Ha Ha Tonka State Park – just outside of Lake of the Ozarks.

And then?
Real-life Narnia emerged.

The perfect backdrop for this sweet, sweet love story…
(Listen while you scroll: click here)

Oh the infamous Flood Trip of 2016: What should have been friends, food, fire gazing, and floating on a river quickly changed when storms flooded the campsite. We found ourselves in the same van on the five-hour ride back to Kansas City… 

L: “Ryan’s passion for scientific research was on display during those van conversations
and it definitely got my attention.

So much so that almost immediatley, I started organizing social opportunities
– like picnics at the Nelson Museum –
with the invite list intentionally including Ryan.”

R: “We were just friends…or so I thought…”

L: Two months full of
swing dancing and deep conversations
(under the guise of “study parties”) passed
and I was certain that I wanted to date Ryan.

The summer had given me a front row seat to observe his love for the Lord, his steadfastness in caring for and serving other people, and his intelligence in many areas of life.

R: One night, while walking in the Crossroads District,
I was struck by Laura’s stunning beauty,
adventurous spirit,
and willingness to walk with me through some of my navigational mishaps… 

“In fact, I realized I really wanted to hold Laura’s hand
and for the first time,
I was forced to confront the reality of my emotions.” 

R: Two weeks later, I asked Laura
if there was “potential for trajectory” in our relationship.

L: Finally!!!!

R: By November, I knew I loved Laura.
I couldn’t tell her yet, though,
because I had decided to save such meaning-laden words for one person only
the woman to be my wife. 

R: Through some detective work that would make Sherlock jealous,
I was able to discover & create Laura’s perfect ring.

The time waiting for the ring to be delivered was spent,
as calmly as possible,
preparing for the proposal.

L: I thought I would be able to tell when Ryan asked my dad for his blessing
AND when he got the ring.
I had assumed wrong.

Over the last couple of months, Ryan had not only been to several early morning breakfasts with my dad – all before work – but had also planned every detail.

So when Ryan asked me to walk to the Nelson,
I didn’t suspect a thing… 

R: Minutes before our arrival, a friend placed “books” on a bench at the Nelson.
I had spent nearly two months folding the pages
so that when the book was standing up & open,
the design reads: Laura Joy.

As we approached the bench with the books, she nearly passed them by!
That is, until I got her attention.
And that’s when THE moment came…

L: It slowly dawned on me: “Wait a minute. That’s my name.
Why is something personalized at the Nelson?!?
…He’s doing it.
This is it!!!”

R: Choking on all of the words, I finally managed:
“Laura Joy, I love you – will you marry me?”

Dear Laura & Ryan —
Wow. Not only do we feel so blessed to partner with you as siblings, but also as your wedding photographers and fellow life-adventurers. Our anticipation for your Kansas City wedding (one month out!), growing with you as we pursue to understand what marriage means (hullo more conversation over coffee and donuts…and a 5th year anniversary cruise!), AND the privilege to be your storytellers throughout, makes us a tad giddy. Thank you for trusting us.
And yeah, it all just gets better from here!
Love you,
Tara & Stephen.

Feel free to leave some love in the comments for these two!
Can’t wait for their industrial, KCMO wedding in just a few weeks – so keep your eyes peeled.

Always,
–Tara M

 

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8 Comments

  • So sweet & such a perfect capture of Laura & Ryan! Congratulations you love birds! ????

    Reply
    • Alli, thank you so much!!! They were SO sweet to each other in front of the camera – heck, always in life – so their engagement session was just an amazing experience! Can’t wait to celebrate with everyone! Xoxo

      Reply
  • Oh, how sweet this all is! They are perfect for each other and you did an amazing job capturing who they are. Ryan and Laura: We are so excited for you! We knew you were awesome when you invited us along to go swing dancing! Best wishes and congratulations!

    Reply
    • Thanks so much Momma! And yes, how fun was that night of swing dancing?! Love it! Glad you’ve gotten to know this family so well. heart eyes

      Reply
  • love, love, love<3 <3 La Vie En Rose is like {heart eyes heart eyes} So so pretty! her clothes are like goals! They are just too cute. every picture was like wayyy cuter than the last and now on my bucket list is learning to swing dance with my husband. (not that I even have a boyfriend, but.) Super super stoked to see their wedding!!

    Reply
    • Lottie – girl, thank you so much! I agree, ALL the heart eyes! Swing dancing is a GREAT bucket list thing. A lot of times on Friday nights there’s a swing dancing club (in most cities) for only $5! 😉

      Reply
  • Tara, once again you did a beautiful job telling their story. It was a joy to read and look through the fabulous photos! ????

    Reply
    • Kathy! Oh my goodness, thank you so much for your sweet comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed the story! 🙂

      Reply

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