My Facebook status update the evening I shot this engagement session sounded odd…for two reasons. This is it: “Taking Weston to Weston to shoot Lauren & Preston…(while her sisters babysit.)”
(Weston is my son, in case you didn’t know!!) Other than the linguistic oddity, I know it might seem strange that I was bringing my baby to a shoot. So let me explain. Lauren is the sister of one of my dear friends, Jamie. Jamie is expecting a baby herself in April and her baby fever didn’t end with her making one of her own. Jamie and their other sister, Emily, wanted to hang out with the coolest kid ever (until Jamie’s baby girl comes along, I suppose!) so I took baby to work! 😉 Weston LOVED them. And the puppies.
So yes, Lauren comes from a family of lovely sisters. She lives in the cute lil’ town of Weston, which is NOT where we got our own kid’s name, btw. Her fiance, Preston, proved to be such a mellow, sweet and go-with-it guy. It is clear how perfectly these two fit together. Preston currently works in landscape design and Lauren in accounting. I squealed when I found out her dream job… because, as surprising as it might seem, before I got the notion to be a magazine journalist (pre-photography days!!!), or settled for marketing and PR gigs while I got my biz up and running….I had a very different idea of what I wanted to be when I “grew up.” And Lauren shares in it… Like me, Lauren is drawn to solving things for the good of the world. And in this case, she would love to be like Detective Olivia Benson on Law & Order SVU. High five to that!!!! (And plus, Mariska Hargitay has AMAZING hair!!! haha)
So Preston & Lauren have given me another notch on the belt for Darbi G. couples who are high school sweethearts. She knew he was someone beyond special when she felt so at ease with him. He knew it after spending a float trip with her and having a dream where they were torn apart. He woke up and couldn’t bear the thought of living without such a loving, amazing person, that he literally proposed the next day. Of course, this threw Lauren’s detective skills for a loop. The same can be said for Preston’s original proposal plan after Lauren fell victim to a nasty virus that made it a tough sell to get her to leave their house for a romantic walk in Weston Bend State Park, where he planned on presenting her with the lifelong proposition.
Preston FINALLY got her to at least head to the barn out back behind Lauren’s house. He didn’t even make it to the barn before he poured his heart out to her and found himself on his knee with the ring in hand. He also found himself smothered in sloppy kisses.
Fear not…it wasn’t Lauren on the giving end of the slippery smooches, but her fiesty black lab, Jazz. The canine clearly approved so Lauren said yes. 😉
What I love about these two is how down-to-earth and easy to please they are. Get this…. their ideal date? Just some time in a park, dinner at PIZZA HUT (I always get made fun of when I say that it is my favorite pizza, but it truly is!!!), and watching movies curled up together at home. That is SO them. And they wanted an engagement session that also rang true to themselves.
So we began on the football field and grounds of the school where they first unearthed their relationship…and we ended at Lauren’s farm, where the ring pushed them to the next stage. And in September, these two will take me to a horse ranch for their wedding. WOOT!
Darbi's Mom - What a cute couple! Lauren is adorable! Love these shots you got of them Darbi. Beautiful job! Can’t wait to see their wedding pictures!