With Chad and Chrissy’s wedding coming up so soon (I can’t believe it’s THIS SEPTEMBER!), it has me thinking back to their engagement session earlier this year! This summer has also had crazy hot temperatures, so I’ve loved getting to think back to their Downtown Grapevine engagement session from February!

Chad and Chrissy envisioned a classic, elegant engagement session in Downtown Grapevine. They totally dressed the part and were completely confident doing so! I always recommend that couples dress like the best version of themselves – but above all, own what you wear! You could tell that this beautiful couple just loves dressing to the nines!

I’d never visited Downtown Grapevine, so photographing Chad and Chrissy’s engagement session in the area was a first – and a lot of fun! There were lots of colors and textures for interesting backgrounds. My favorite was the vintage style movie theatre – although I also loved the town hall steps! I just love seated portraits for some reason!

We also visited the Grapevine Botanical Gardens, which is certainly a hidden gem! Since it was winter, there wasn’t a ton of green; however, winter light is among my favorite and the neutral colors of the foliage really allowed Chad and Chrissy to take center stage. It makes it so easy when I get to work with couples with such positive, genuine energy. These two could be professional models!

I have personally adored getting to know Chad and Chrissy and cannot wait for their big day this September at St. Thomas Aquinas and the Adolphus Hotel! View more of my favorites from their Downtown Grapevine Engagement Session below!

Tell us a little about how you both met! Was it love at first sight?

“Chad and I met at a bar, Concrete Cowboy, in uptown Dallas on December 28th, 2012. One of Chads friends actually tried to talk to me first, but I guess I wasn’t interested (as a matter of fact, I do not remember this!). Then Chad came to talk to me and we hit it off! I would not say love at first sight…it was dark and we just met!”

How did the proposal go down? Was Chad nervous?

“Chad decorated the entire house and went and bought some of our favorite take out from Scalinis (including Italian wedding soup). He put dozens of roses outside of the house and all inside the house too. We have a nest camera that looks into our sun room. We often check during the day to watch our cats and he put tape over the camera because he knows I always check on them! When I came home from school, he popped the question! I was very surprised because I thought he was going to do it the next day on Valentines Day, but he surprised me on 2/13 instead. Chad was not nervous!”

Describe the perfect date night for you two!

“A perfect date night would be going out to one of our favorite restaurants and just relaxing and eating good food. We usually do this every Friday because we are tired from work all week. Then, we love coming home and relaxing with our cats!”

Do you have any specific advice for couples who are currently planning a wedding?

“The advice I would have for other couples would be to plan the wedding you truly want and do not let others influence your taste or decisions. Find a venue and guest list that works in your budget. Lastly, just have fun and do not stress! Wedding planning can be as stressful or not stressful as you want it to be. I also suggest a long engagement because it gave me plenty of time to space out the planning!”

Emily Chappell Photography is an engagement photographer in Dallas specializing in a bright and airy style to joyfully capture your favorite moments in life. If you are recently engaged and looking for an engagement photographer or wedding photographer in Dallas, we would love to hear from you!