Engagements at Texas Woman's University Greenhouse | Denton, TX

It has been one CRAZY week!

Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays. Spending time with my daughter while she is out of school, catching up last minute sessions and preparing for Christmas and now New Years. But let's be honest, we are only one week in on my daughter's Christmas break, and I am ready for her to go back... and she is too. She keeps talking about her friends and why she can't just go see them, and she still gets up before I am ready. When do kids sleep in? I am here for that part of her childhood. But it's all good, we are getting ready for a staycation over New Year's weekend, and then we are buckling down on our goals for the new year. But before we all get ready for this weekend's celebration, I much share the sweetest engagement session that I shot a few weeks back at the Greenhouse on Texas Woman's University Campus in Denton, Texas. Jay and Brandi are so adorable, they even share some of their biggest news with me (It's a secret I'm never gonna tell, XOXO - Okay I might be watching Gossip Girl while I am writing this blog).

Getting to know the couple:

JL: How did you meet?

Brandi: We met in jail. I was Director of Nursing at the jail when Jay started there. We saw each other in passing but when we met at one of the nurse’s going away party a few years later we reconnected.

JL: What was your first date?

Brandi: Our first date was at the Great Dane in Madison. We rented a pool table and played a few games and had some drinks and cheese curds❤️

JL: I want to hear all about the proposal, don't leave anything out.

Brandi: Well for starters I thought I had it pinned when he was going to do it. My birthday is Sept 1st so I worked a half day, got my hair done and a facial. I was ready. We went to dinner and came home; he gave me a work backpack he had gotten me and said there was one more gift, but it was late. I was so mad. I thought for sure this was it and we were going to be up all night talking about the wedding and future. Didn’t happen.

Two days later we have a trip planned to go to Houston for the weekend, some friends of ours were coming into town to see some family and we were going to meet up with them. We got to the hotel and checked in and I wanted to check out the pool, so we go down and check it out, head back up to the room to get ready for dinner. Jay says let’s just go down to the Galleria and walk around until we find a spot we want to eat. I loved that idea! He gets out a button up shirt and irons it. So, I was like I guess I should put on a dress. We are cruising down to the Galleria and a place called the Waterwall is on the GPS on the screen in the car, he says to me, that’s the spot the girl from work was telling me about that is really awesome, want to swing by and check it out before dinner. I said yea, I love water so should be cool. We park in a parking garage, and we are walking out and he says he forgot his phone and goes back to the car. I’m impatiently waiting and as he catches back up to me, he is lingering behind me, I commented on it and he just brushed it off and I thought nothing of it. We are approaching the Waterwall and it’s breathtaking! I take a few pictures from far away and then we continue to walk up to it. We walk around the outside and the sound and smell is just so peaceful. In my head I’m thinking, I could get married here, it’s so beautiful! I stop and tell him I want to take a picture, he agrees and steps to my right side, the picture was awkward because I usually an on the right side because I hold the camera. No big deal we keep walking and I ask for another picture and he takes it so it’s less awkward because he stand bold in standing on my right side. There is a couple behind us struggling to get a selfie of their own. Jay walks up to them and offers to take the picture for them. They accept the offer and Jay takes a few pictures and then hands me their phone and asks me to take a few as well. He then asks the gentleman to take our picture. When the guy hold up the camera the flash is continuously on, I turn to Jay and say I think it’s on video, he says that’s fine and stands beside me and smiles. I turn to him and say I mean I’m sure he knows how to take a picture and he says it’s fine so I turn to smile at the camera. Jay then turns in towards me and says it’s actually on video because, and he drops to one knee and pulls out this box. He opens it and light shines on this beautiful ring that I can’t even see because I’m crying immediately. He says to me, I asked you to be patient with me and you have (which is a lie) I brought you all the way to Texas to do this, I love you baby girl. I leaned down to kiss him and when I stand up he says, well put it on! We laugh and he stand to give me a hug and kiss! And this wonderful gentleman got it all on video. Something I will cherish forever!