Chris & Julia

I met Chris and Julia through Grace after the three of them attended Washington University together. Over the past four years, they have become close friends, making the opportunity to preserve this chapter of their relationship especially meaningful.

When Chris decided to propose, he wanted the moment to feel completely natural. His plan was for the two of them to spend an ordinary day walking through the Missouri Botanical Garden while I remained hidden nearby, waiting for the right moment without Julia knowing I was there.

Photographing from a distance allowed everything to unfold without interruption. Julia’s surprise, the instant realization of what was happening, and the love and excitement that followed were completely genuine. There was no posing or reenacting—only the two of them fully present inside a moment that would change their lives.

After the proposal, I stepped out and we continued through the garden for a few portraits together. Those photographs carry a different kind of energy because the emotion was still fresh. Every smile, embrace, and glance held the excitement of what had just happened.

Chris and Julia married in June 2026, turning this surprise proposal into the beginning of a beautiful new chapter. These photographs preserve the exact moment their engagement began—before the plans, celebrations, and wedding day, when everything was still simply surprise, joy, and pure love.