The six of us stood in the parking lot at Holden Arboretum, busily sorting through stuff and making sure all was ready. There was Katie, Joe, their two black Chihuahua’s, a friend to handle the dogs, and myself. There was a lot of stuff to get sorted between all my gear and the gear for the dogs. Quickly though, we were ready to go, and we set off across the trails at Holden.
It was autumn, which meant that Holden was the perfect place for an engagement session. Especially a session involving dogs, since furry friends are welcome at Holden. Holden’s huge forest was already changing colors, albeit a little late this year. For some strange reason, the color change is coming late this year. However, we are definitely seeing a lot more color than normal. Oaks, which normally just turn brown, are blowing up with gold, orange and fiery red.
As we walked through Holden, we chatted about dogs, life, and how Katie and Joe were engaged. Their engagement story is really sweet. They had planned a rather last minute tour of Europe. On the tour, they would visit numerous cities, but only spend a day or two in each one. Part way through the trip, they found themselves in Ireland. That day, they decided to break from the tour group and head out on their own.
They were touring a castle when they decided to visit the rose garden. Joe setup a camera – “just to take a photo,” he said. He had actually set the camera to video. He approached Katie, got down on one knee, and proposed amongst the roses and tourists. After double-checking his certainty, Katie of course said yes. I love engagement stories with big plans and this is certainly one of the best. Even better, they have the whole event on video!
Speaking of which, Katie and Joe’s wedding next year is certain to be one of the best as well. It’s set at a gorgeous location and I certainly can’t wait. Until then, I hope you enjoy some of the highlights below.
For the technical among us, the above was all shot on my cherished Contax 645 and Leica M6 using either Fuji 400h or Kodak Portra 160 film. The film was loving developed and scanned by the awesome people at Richard Photo Lab.
