When Your Daughter Gets Married- The Engagement Story & Photos

As a new parent, there is one milestone you pray for when you hold your newborn baby. You know it will eventually come, and you even look forward to it. Yet, even while they are still infants, there is part of you that hopes it takes a very long time to get there. Well, for Eric and me, that time has come and already passed. Our little girl has grown up and gotten married. On July 2, our daughter Rylee married the love of her life, Nate Symens.

There will be two parts to this story. Not because I have that much to say or because I am particularly eloquent when it comes to sharing my feelings, but because there are simply too many photos of this amazing couple that I want to share.

I have always said I am not a wedding photographer. Yet, over nearly 25 years as a professional photographer, I have probably documented the big day for roughly 30 couples. I turn down numerous weddings every year, but every now and then someone asks sweetly enough that I just can't say no. And when it's your daughter, saying yes is inevitable.

What she really asked me for, however, was engagement photos. The plan was actually not to take many photographs on their wedding day. I'll get to that later.

Before these photos were ever taken, there was another unforgettable chapter. Rylee and Nate got engaged in March while visiting Florence, Italy, during spring break. The evening before they became engaged, we spent time together because, even though we were on separate trips, our paths crossed in that fabulous city. When Rylee left the room, Nate quietly brought up the idea of proposing to her. He never let on that "someday" would arrive just minutes after we said goodbye. In fact, he still insists he didn't even know exactly when it would happen until after we parted—even though he had been carrying the ring with him all over Europe! Around one the next day, I unexpectedly saw them one more time before they rushed to catch their train and leave the city—this time with a stunning ring on her finger and smiles nearly as big as the Duomo.

When she sent me ideas for engagement photos, I looked at them and thought, These look like wedding photos... and they look like a ton of fun. So, just a few days after she graduated from college, I met her and Nate at his apartment in downtown Minneapolis for a full day of engagement adventure. Looking back now, I realize I wasn't simply creating beautiful portraits. I was preserving one small chapter of a much bigger story that had already begun.

Our first stop was the Minnesota State Capitol, and what a dream location! I couldn't bring my lights, so I had to creatively use the light that was already there, and I certainly did plenty of editing afterward, but wow. It was so much fun capturing these two stunning people in such an amazingly ornate space.

Next up was the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I didn't call ahead to check into their photography regulations. Honestly, I figured they probably had something in place for organized photo sessions, but since I have been there so many times, I also thought that if we just casually walked in, I could "snap" a few photos. Well, it turns out that when you look that amazing, they know right away you aren't just there to admire the art. Whoops! Apparently, I would have needed to book well in advance, pay a $200 fee, and have someone accompany us the entire time. So we headed back outside, but I actually think it turned out even better because some of my favorite photos were taken on the museum steps.

In fact, after taking one of them, I gasped and said out loud, "You two are going to make the most beautiful babies!" I still stand by that and can't wait for the day those adorable grandbabies arrive!

From there we headed back to Nate's apartment, which is an incredible location all by itself. In fact, I'm taking some of my son Bridger's senior photos there at the end of the month because there are so many fun places to photograph. The building is a former paper mill that has been converted into apartments. It is decorated with a beautiful mix of antiques and modern décor, and I knew I wanted to create editorial-style portraits there. It was an absolute blast.

We spent hours creating these images together, and I loved every minute of it. For the past decade, Rylee hasn't exactly been thrilled to be in front of my camera, so seeing her so completely smitten and genuinely happy simply being with Nate brought me so much peace.

Since Nate has split his time between Minneapolis and North Dakota throughout the time they have been dating, we haven't had as many opportunities to truly get to know him. He really is an amazing young man who loves Jesus and (kind of) knows how to wire a three-way switch—which are the two requirements a man has to meet to marry one of our daughters.

These photos were intended to serve as both their engagement and wedding portraits because Rylee and Nate wanted to have a small courthouse wedding. Between college graduation, studying for the MCAT, and medical school applications, keeping the ceremony small was a very practical decision.

There are plans to potentially have a larger celebration next year, and if that happens, I'm probably hiring them a photographer so I can actually enjoy the party. But let's be honest—as a photographer, you never really stop taking pictures anyway.

As much as I treasure these engagement photos, they are really only the beginning of the story. Soon after, this incredible couple would stand before God and their family and promise to love one another for the rest of their lives. I hope you'll come back for Part Two as I share photographs from one of the sweetest days of our family's lives.

0 Comments

Previous Post Next Post

When Your Daughter Gets Married-A Mother's Heart Behind the Camera

Leave a comment

Archive

NAVIGATE

EXPERIENCES

FIND ME