I’m just going to start this out by saying I really do LOVE Spokane. I had a lot of good times there, and it’s always so fun to be able to go back every now and then and be nostalgic. I totally felt that way during this Manito Park Engagement session with Bryan and Olivia.

I have fond memories of Manito Park, most of them being sledding during the winter with my roommate, but we always found things to do up there whether it was summer or winter. I was so happy when Olivia mentioned that they wanted to do their engagement session up there.

I met this pretty girl in one of the best ways possible. Olivia is best friends with my other 2017 bride, Kendall! One day I got a text from Kendall that went along the lines of “my best friend is getting married, and we’ve been looking at your photos all weekend and she wants to contact you too!” One of the BEST compliments I can get from ANYONE is when they refer their friends to me. It just makes me so happy to not only get to treat them like they’re GOLD, but also their friends too! 🙂 Best. Thing. Ever.  When I first met Olivia, it was over Skype. We talked like we had been friends forever, and I loved getting to know this girl!

The Couple

These two met at Gonzaga University! They were in Biology together, and Bryan says that he noticed her from the first day, because he sat behind her. Olivia didn’t really MEET him until at the end of the class when a group of them needed to get together to study. She did want to pass, after all. Whether they were studying or just getting to know each other, I guess we’ll never know, but they both passed, and they’ve been together ever since!

The Proposal

These two are quite the travelers, and though I’m super jealous, I absolutely love that about them! Just last week, they were in Banff, and it was so fun to hear all about their trip. One of the best trips they went on was one to Glacier National Park! They drove all day on the Road to the Sun, stopping at every hike they could. Their last stop was the lookout over St. Mary’s Lake. They were sitting their enjoying the view, reminiscing about everything they had seen that day, when Bryan spun down to one knee and pulled out the ring. Olivia started running around screaming, and asked “is this real!?” Was it ever. It was even more special because the center stone of her ring was the same stone that was in the ring Bryan’s dad proposed to his mom. He had it taken out and redesigned the ring himself. And it’s GORGEOUS (seriously!!!!).  One the way back to their motel, with tears, Olivia said “I can’t believe I get to wear this forever.” 🙂

Manito Park Engagement Session

I loved spending time with these two! We walked around the rose garden section of the park, and got some of the sweetest photos of the two of them. We’re only about a month away from their big day, but these two have a CRAZY busy month!! Bryan is starting med school just days after their wedding day, so between now and then, they will be flying down to southern Utah, finding a place to live, moving their stuff down there, getting settled, flying back up, getting married, and driving back down. These two are crazy! 🙂

I always say it, but I get to work with some of the BEST people. We had a fun time during their session. I got to hear all about their Banff trip and their explorations there (even if I’m super jealous they got to see Moraine Lake, and a grizzly bear, and a black bear…), we sang Dora songs, I showed them the horrible theme song of “dinosaur train” and we got eaten by mosquitos. I’m so excited for their big day next month, and I have a feeling it’s going to be here before we know it!

Good luck with one crazy month, you guys! 🙂