Sunset Engagement Session at White Rock Lake

Anyone who knows me also knows that there’s not much I love more than a gorgeous, sun drenched engagement session at golden hour!  Although God, my husband, and my kiddos definitely top the list (along with Mickey Waffles from Disney World and a good “Dad joke” or two!).  That’s why when LeeAnn explained her vision for a sunset engagement session, I knew instantly what she wanted!  Today, I’m sharing LeeAnn and Bennett’s White Rock Lake engagement session along with their sweet love story and of course the proposal!

LeeAnn and Bennett will be tying the knot this coming May here in Dallas at Royal Lane Baptist Church and The Room on Main. Their favorite ways to spend time together are binge watching their favorite Netflix shows (especially murder mysteries – two of which they never get ahead of one another and always watch together!) as well as cheering for their alma maters! LeeAnn went to University of Texas and Bennett went to University of Tennessee, so they love arguing about which team is the “real” orange and the “real” UT!

LeeAnn and I communicated pretty extensively through email and I knew we were going to be a great fit!  Still, I seriously enjoyed getting to know these two even better through their October engagement session at White Rock Lake!  I would describe LeeAnn as driven, ambitious, and extremely personable.  In comparison, Bennett is on the quieter side; but make no mistake, he is perceptive and witty, quick to laugh once he warms up!  I loved watching Bennett admire his bride-to-be as I posed the two and then let authentic moments unfold.  A sweet smile here, a kiss and a laugh – I mean it when I say they made my job as an engagement photographer an absolute delight!  We even toasted to their engagement session with a glass of champagne – a perfect end to a beautiful evening!

LeeAnn and Bennett were gracious enough to share a bit more about their story and their wedding day in Dallas.  I am thrilled for you to get to know them!

How did you both meet?

“Can’t say you’ll hear this story twice – Bennett and I met through a dating app called “Hinge” that only connects you to people you have mutual friends with. Hinge was huge in Chicago and Dallas – he had moved home to Nashville from Chicago in June of 2015, and I had taken a leap of faith and accepted my first nursing job in Nashville starting in July of 2015. God’s timing was perfect – we met in August and had a blast throughout the beginning of our relationship trying to figure out who our mutual friend was. Turns out she lives in Sydney, Australia! She and I grew up together in Dallas, and Bennett and I made sure she got plenty of notice about the wedding date we picked! Social media definitely has its downfalls, but in this case we definitely appreciated its ability to make a huge world seem very small!”

How did Bennett propose?

“Bennett proposed in Nashville, Tennessee the day after his 26th birthday. I had taken him to dinner on his actual birthday, and he told me we were going to dinner with his family the next night. After his sister texted to say they were running late, I had a feeling I knew what was happening! He took me to my favorite spot in Nashville, a sixteen-square mile park full of hills and trees (a luscious green treat to a Texas-native) and proposed there! He then took me to his parents’ house to “grill out”, where he had invited his family from Nashville and Memphis to celebrate with us. Turned out our Nashville friends were there too, and he had my family come in from Dallas and Kansas City to celebrate with us as well! He had even invited some of my lifelong friends and they traveled from Dallas, Austin, Chicago, and Atlanta to be there – it was mind-blowing!”

Tell me about the details you’re most excited about for your upcoming wedding!

“Bennett and I are very excited about the date we picked, because over half of our guests will be coming in from Tennessee. We thought Memorial Day weekend would be perfect for everyone to get a more extended taste of Texas. We are also very excited about being married at Royal Lane Baptist Church, because it looks and feels very similar to Bennett’s family’s church in Nashville, which we would have been married in had we chosen to be married in Nashville. Both my mom and my dad live off of Royal Lane, so it will be an easy place for us to revisit every time we come to Dallas. I wanted to be married somewhere that we could always return to.”

What is one unique or interesting thing about your future spouse?

From Bennett: “LeeAnn prefers dinner food for breakfast rather than ever eating breakfast food, and she is part Australian Aborigine…we think!”
From LeeAnn: “Bennett hates attention, but is ironically way too good at singing karaoke to Will Smith’s “Gettin’ Jiggy With It!”

What did you each wear to your session?

“I started the shoot in a lacy cream dress with some navy detailing, and Bennett wore navy dress slacks and a lighter blue button down shirt. We then both changed into jeans and more casual tops, which was a perfect call for that Texas heat that still exists into October!

We wanted something in the wedding process to be outdoors, since both our ceremony and reception are indoors. I grew up just behind White Rock Lake and spent so much time there as a kid and in high school. I knew that it would be perfect for soft and sweet pictures that were really pretty without being really formal.”

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

“Have some jokes to crack in each other’s ears for those laughing pics – by the end of it, we were laughing at how poor of comedians we both are!”

How was your overall session experience?

“We loved it! Emily is the BEST – so easy to connect with and she helps make the posing feel natural, not awkward. Bennett hates pictures, even at Tennessee Vols games and Nashville Preds games, his two other loves! So, hearing that he was actually excited to see the pictures blew my mind, and I am so thankful Emily was able to make that happen!”

LeeAnn and Bennett, I cannot even begin to tell you how much I loved spending time with you and capturing your engagement session at White Rock Lake! Thank you for the honor of capturing your love story!

If you just so happened to have stumbled upon my blog and you are recently engaged, I would love to hear from you! I am a Dallas wedding photographer and engagement photographer with a fun, romantic, and timeless style. Check out more of my work on my portfolio and drop me a note. I can’t wait to hear from you!