Kenzie and Nathan brought every ounce of adorable to their Valley Grande engagement session last week!  That’s not surprising though since they have been together for 6 years.  They are high school sweethearts and their young love had me feeling a little nostalgic.  Looking back, I realized that I had photographed both of them at various times – Kenzie at the Historic Selma Pilgrimage, Nathan at a wedding reception, and both of them at their prom!  Enjoy this little throwback 🙂

We started their engagement session at a location I have photographed probably a dozen times, but it looked so different this time.  There were a few moments when I had to do a double-take because the background looked so similar to places I have visited in Gatlinburg!  The smell of burning timber filled the air and the smoke soon followed.  It produced a light fog that added a bit of romance and mystery around us.

By the time we got to the second location, the sun beautifully highlighted the golden grass.  Pink and orange hues stretched across the sky.  The fog rolled in and I joked that we could tell everyone we did their engagement photos in the “Smokies.”  These will forever be some of my favorite images!  Everything aligned so perfectly – catching the sun at just the right moment, having a gorgeous sunset, that soft pink glow, the unexpected fog.  I soaked in the moment and took as many pictures as I could.  There is no replicating the way these photos look.

Kenzie and Nathan, thank you so much for choosing me to document this season of your lives!  You could have chosen anyone and with Kenzie’s dad being a photographer, you were probably more selective about who to hire.  It is truly an honor to photograph a fellow photographer’s daughter and her fiancé.  I look forward to capturing your beautiful wedding day this summer – and not just because it’s my birthday 😉