Today I am featuring Julia and Matt’s engagement session at Arbor Hills! I have just loved working with these two! They are a joy to photograph because not only are they simply photogenic people, but they are also sweet, kind, and full of positivity! There is nothing better than working with two people that are welcoming and fun to be around. I seriously get to work with the most amazing couples!
outdoors engagement photos at arbor hills
Having photos taken can definitely send some of us spiraling into a panic of being in front of the camera. I totally get it! It can be stressful in front of the lens! Julia and Matt actually shared with me that they were a little anxious to have their photos taken. As a photographer, I get this a lot. These feelings are super common and natural! That’s why I always emphasize to couples that all they need to do is enjoy being with one another. Being engaged is such a sweet season of life! And besides, if I’m being honest, Julia and Matt handled the experience like pros! They were so in love, and each and every photo turned out simply beautiful.
I loved Julia and Matt’s location choice for their engagement photos. Arbor Hills Nature Preserve is very popular for couples wanting an outdoorsy feel. We explored gorgeous fields filled with light colored trees and grass, which was perfect for their down-to-earth personalities. Later in their session, Julia and Matt even put on their favorite team jerseys!
I had so much fun capturing the sweet moments shared between Julia and Matt. It is an honor to have been able to provide engagement photos for these two, and we are looking forward to working with them again at their wedding!
How did you two meet?
“We met in middle school and started dating our freshmen year in highschool.”
How did he propose?
“We went to Breckenridge, Colorado for a quick vacation over Labor Day weekend. I thought there was a slight chance that he could propose but he was acting so normal all weekend that I decided it wasn’t going to happen. After a quick change of plans and a split decision of taking our pizza dinner to go, we decided to drive up a mountain to watch the sunset. It was getting dark much faster than we anticipated, so we decided to pull off at a scenic outlook about midway up the mountain to take a picture and watch the sunset. He set up his phone so that it would video us ‘taking a picture’ and we could take a screenshot later. After posing for a picture, he grabbed my hands and said some cute stuff that I can’t remember and then went down on one knee and proposed! It was perfect.”
Tell me about the details you’re most excited about for your upcoming wedding!
“We are super excited to be getting married at The Grand Ivory in Leonard, Texas. It’s a brand new venue built from the group up by a husband and wife duo. The venue sits on 18 acres of land and the chapel we will be getting married in overlooks a beautiful pond creating the perfect backdrop. We can’t wait to have cocktail hour on the large covered porch, play lawn games under the string lights and bring all of our guests inside the elegant reception barn to eat and dance the night away. The Grand Ivory was the first venue we toured and we just could not get it out of our heads as we toured other places. We can’t wait to celebrate our wedding there!”
Do you have any tips or advice for other couples about to have engagement photos taken?
“Don’t overthink it. We (well, mostly me) were super anxious about taking engagement pictures because we don’t take a lot of pictures on our own and are not a very big “PDA” couple. But Emily made us feel super comfortable in front of the camera and I quickly realized we were worrying for no reason.”
How was your overall session experience?
“We really enjoyed our engagement session! We weren’t quite sure what to expect but Emily did a fabulous job of posing us and making us feel comfortable in front of the camera. She is so sweet and definitely knows what she is doing!”
Tell me one funny or interesting thing about one another!
Julia: “Matt used to have multiple pairs of Air Jordans that he wore all the time. He wore them with basketball shorts (makes sense), jeans (acceptable) and once even with a suit at my softball banquet in high school because he forgot his dress shoes. After 7.5 years, I have finally convinced him to expand his shoe horizon, but even today, I had a bridesmaid ask me if all the bridesmaids needed to wear “bridal jordans” to match the groom!”
From Matt: “Julia looks sweet and innocent (she’s only 5’2″) but she is super competitive! It doesn’t matter what we are doing, she wants to win…and usually does! We have rock throwing contests where we try to hit a target in the distance and she beats me every time. She talks a lot of smack too! If you lose, you’re going to hear about it!”
Capturing Julia and Matt’s Engagement Session at Arbor Hills was an absolute blast! I can’t wait for their wedding at The Grand Ivory! If you are recently engaged and looking for a Dallas wedding photographer, I’d love to hear from you!
The pictures were very good. Julia and Matt make a good couple!