Meeting couples for their Dallas engagement session has got to be one of my favorite things as a wedding photographer. I love getting to know the couples with whom I’ll be working for their wedding day and learning all about their love story. Not only does it help to create a more personalized experience for couples, but it also helps them feel more confident when I’m posing them on their wedding day! With that being said, Elizabeth and Zeke didn’t need much posing! Their natural energy together as a couple made photographing them an absolute breeze, and also made this Arlington Hall and Lakeside Park Engagement Session one of my favorites!

Elizabeth told me that she and Zeke felt most comfortable with a classic vibe. The Uptown Dallas area was a perfect fit for this bride- and groom-to-be, who both came dressed in crisp, summery clothes. We explored the porch of Arlington Hall and Robert E. Lee park, which offers lots of greenery and pretty manicured pathways. The white columns and steps were my personal favorite! Afterwards, we made our way to Lakeside Park to get more of a water backdrop…and pop some bubbly! Veuve Cliquot shared on a blanket by the lake…sounds like my kind of evening! Watching Elizabeth and Zeke interact with one another has to be one of the highlights of the day – they both love being goofy together and LAUGHING! All of my couples know how much I LOVE to capture LAUGHTER on camera!

We also created beautiful, romantic portraits that perfectly portrayed their love and delight in one another. I seriously have the most wonderful couples who are able to have fun and also pose for a sweet portrait here and there! We ended the evening with an Instagram Boomerang post of the two holding up their champagne classes…and no, I’m definitely not too proud to pick up an iPhone for photos, hahaha! :)

Elizabeth and Zeke will be tying the knot at SMU’s Perkins Chapel and then celebrating at The Filter Building on White Rock Lake. Their Arlington Hall and Lakeside Park engagement session has me so excited for their big day next May! I am honored to be photographing such a beautiful season in Elizabeth and Zeke’s life! Read more about these two below, and view some of my favorites from their engagement session!

How did you meet?

We met off a dating app called Hinge! We matched, then messaged back and forth for about a week, and then Zeke asked me to go grab drinks one day after work. We met at the Truckyard on Lower Greenville, and had a few drinks in the Treehouse! :) Then went to dinner afterwards at HG Supply. We had such a great time that we even hung out again the next day at the Rustic with friends!

How did he propose?

Elizabeth: I was in St. Louis visiting family because I hadn’t been home in a while. My mom planned a family dinner Friday night with aunts, uncles, my grandfather, etc. We were sitting in the family room at my Mom’s house, and in walks Zeke with roses. He looked so adorable! When I saw him, I immediately knew what was next! :) His parents were walking in behind him filming on their iPhones, so that was also a dead give away – LOL! Then he got down on one knee, and proposed fearlessly in front of the entire family. That was the most special part of the engagement. Zeke has come out of his shell so much over the past 3 years, and he wanted to propose in front of the entire family, because he knows how important they are to me. Then we had family dinner and popped champagne, and in true Turner fashion, started planning the wedding immediately! :)

Zeke: I was in Midland, TX for work, and was supposed to be coming back to Dallas, but without Elizabeth knowing booked a flight to STL, and Elizabeth’s aunt graciously became my partner in crime to help plan for this night by pushing for a family dinner the night I was flying up. This had been in the works for a month, and the majority of that time I had kept it almost entirely to myself (not even my best friends knew when I was going to propose), and on my flights to STL and during my layover, I was telling just about everyone that spoke to me that I was proposing that night. After the proposal, a lot of people asked me if I was nervous about asking, but the whole time leading up to it, being nervous never crossed my mind; I knew that I was making the right decision, and never had a doubt in my mind, so all that was left was to tell her how I felt and ask her to marry me. Luckily, she said yes and the rest is history.

Tell me about the details that get you most excited for your upcoming wedding!

Elizabeth: Oh gosh, there are SO many, but I’m most excited for the ceremony. I’ve always dreamed about the day I will walk down the aisle and see my husband at the end of the aisle, and the sermon about our relationship. There’s something about a traditional wedding in a chapel and the music that makes me so excited. My grandma who passed about 5 years ago was my best friend and had a huge impact on my life. She’s the one who helped raise me, and made sure I was in church every Sunday. She was a very traditional woman, loved her hymns, and I feel like the ceremony will truly make me feel like she is right there with me.

Zeke: I’m most excited about just being able to say I’m married to such an amazing person, and having this day to show publicly how much we mean to each other; and of course for the reception and getting all of our friends and family under the same roof, for a great time that we’ll all remember for a long time.

Describe the feel/aesthetic you were going for during your e-session!

Traditional, Simple and Classy.

Do you have any tips or advice for other couples about to have engagement photos taken?

Elizabeth: I’ve heard engagement pictures are great because they help the couple get comfortable posing together prior to the wedding, which I completely agree :)

Zeke: Be yourselves and relax; the pictures are an expression of your feelings for each other, so don’t worry too much about how other people do things or if you’re doing something different, because its about y’all.

How was your overall session experience?

Elizabeth: Amazing, and I mean it! Zeke and I were on cloud 9, and loved every moment. We felt at ease, and confident together. I was worried I would look awkward, or even just feel awkward, but it truly felt so comfortable which was important. And we both said it felt romantic, which was so fun!

Zeke: It was really comfortable, we’re already pretty comfortable around each other and we just tried to keep it that way for our pictures by staying relaxed and not getting in our own heads.

Tell me one interesting or unique thing about one another!

Elizabeth: Zeke loves to dance. He’s extremely goofy when he comes out of his shell :) Also, he’s a fantastic cook – he can cook anything, and everything, and each dish is delicious.

Zeke: Elizabeth is hilariously bad at remembering the words to songs, even ones that she loves and has heard a hundred times. Also, she loves giving gifts to people; I’ve never met a more gracious and giving person in my life!