I Had a blast shooting Dawn and Carson’s engagement session in New orleans. We shot them on the Saturday of French Quarter fest at City Park. You can feel the love they have for each other just by looking at their photos! I can’t wait to shoot their wedding next year at The Shaw Center for Arts in Baton Rouge! Hair and Makeup by Berenice Duarte.

The Proposal!

I have lived in south Louisiana for over five years, and have loved every second of it. No matter where I go or where I live, I will always be an Oklahoma boy. There is something euphoric about my hometown, of Edmond, Oklahoma.

I have come to find out that it is virtually impossible to take a Louisiana girl away from home for too long, and it is damn sure impossible to ask her to get married away from the place she calls home.

It was important to me that our engagement story have a little piece of Oklahoma in it. I started the pursuit of a ring on a trip home to Oklahoma. I can remember telling my parents that I wanted to marry Dawn. My mother and I went to a trusted family jeweler to begin building my idea of what I would soon place on that beautiful girls finger.

After, a beautiful ring design was shown to me, I ok’d the purchase and they began crafting what I had envisioned for Dawn.

I asked her father for his blessing to marry on Sunday, December 22nd in his game room while we watched a western movie. I told him that it isn’t just his sweet daughter that I have come to fall in love with, but the family in its entirety. I have never felt apart of Louisiana as much as I do with them. I told her father to keep his mouth shut, because he has a tough time keeping a secret. A common theme with her entire family. I couldn’t even tell her sister or mother.

I departed for Oklahoma the next day to begin not only Christmas preparations but my proposal as well. I knew the exact spot I wanted to ask Dawn to marry me. My grandfather was once the mayor of my hometown, and helped establish some beautiful places during his tenure. He established Lake Arcadia, just outside Edmond. This lake has dense woods, beautiful red rock canyons and quaint little camp sites. My brother and I chose the perfect location and staged the entire thing days before Dawn would arrive in Oklahoma.

Dawn was scheduled to arrive on the 26th of December. That day Chase and I finalized our plan. We attached a GoPro in a tree, and ordered a wrapped bouquet to give her after she said yes.

The 27th was the day. I had a strategic plan in place for several days, snow tubing, a tour of downtown Oklahoma City and lunch, all followed by campfire coffee and smore’s at Lake Arcadia.

With the ring in my pocket and continuously monitoring the status of my camp site through my brother who had paid off a family of four to vacate the area, I was able to finish my late lunch and head to the location.

Dawn and I constructed a small fire and began boiling some water for our coffee. After fashioning our coffee and consuming some smore’s, I pulled a letter that I had written for Dawn to initiate the proposal. She read through it, cried a little and went to give me a hug and a kiss. At this precise time…I get a nose bleed. This would happen to me. I told her to hold her thought and returned to say a few more words.

I remember that I fumbled for the small box in my pocket. Finally I found myself on one knee in front of the love of my life, asking her to spend the rest of hers with me.

She said not “yes”, but “are you f**king kidding me!?”. I guess that meant yes because she was so excited. My brother came out of the woods, snapping photos in full camouflage.

We the packed up our campsite and headed home to celebrate with my family.

First date!

Carson and I went to Bistro Byonz on our first date. Its a little bistro that has a French/Cajun flare to it. I think its romantic with the single candle on every table and the Christmas lights outside. It looks like an old home that was converted into a restaurant. I LOVE going there!

Baton Rouge Wedding photographer
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