She held onto the leash tight as her little dog excitedly pulled ahead of the trail, panting with his tail wagging as they headed up the rocky slope. Steve lingered behind, heart pounding, waiting for the right moment to change their lives forever. How do you decide when the moment is right to ask someone to spend forever with you? They stopped in the shade of the canyon wall, little Paco’s dog tags clinking and he leaped from rock to rock as they sat down on the cool boulders for a break. She didn’t notice anything different about their hike, so she sat and chatted as he planned his next move. He brought to her attention a small blue dog tag, and she shrugged and smiled until she noticed what was enscripted in bold white letters. “WILL YOU MARRY ME” followed by “3.14.15.” A smile grew across her face as she noticed that Steve was bent on one knee, with a small square box in his hand. She didn’t think she could smile any bigger or laugh any more blissfully until that moment, and they held each other as their love story took a turn for the better. Steve pulled out a black puppy bow tie and made the celebration official!
We found ourselves in a stunning canyon past the winding roads that swerve through Tortilla Flats, taking in this true Arizona experience. They had camped in this exact spot before, so it was perfect that we shot their engagements in this little slice of heaven! It was so quiet, so still, and such a wonderful escape from the hustle of the city. All that could be heard was Paco’s little feet rustling through the tall grass, and the echoes of our laughter as we explored. We even discovered some alien rock formations! We think. Ok, it was probably just some hippies. We had fun anyways.
I was lucky enough to work with Steve at the restaurant for four years, so when Jessica came to me to capture this moment in their lives I was ecstatic! I remember bar tending together as he told me his plans to propose, showing me pictures of the rose gold (swoon) ring on his phone, and me squealing in excitement. To think that I’m going to be there as they say their vows gives me more joy than they could ever know. Their love is intoxicating, and the way they held each other so naturally and so passionately made me smile from within. The exude adoration for each other and I know their story will honestly last forever! It’s most definitely a connection much stronger than puppy love 😉
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