A DREAM LAKE ADVENTURE ENGAGEMENT SESSION IN ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

Tiara and Tom's foggy engagement session at Dream Lake in Rocky Mountain National Park was an absolute dream. Being an adventure wedding & elopement photographer in Colorado definitely has it's perks, especially when it means getting to hang out with rad couples like these two. :) We had planned for a sunrise session at Dream Lake, but instead got crazy fog and mist which was AMAZING! Leading up to their session we were watching the weather and contemplating cancelling, but Tiara & Tom decided to make the most of it regardless and I am SO glad they did! The rain held off just in time and the fog made the whole thing so magical. Tiara looked like a princess right out of a fairy tale! I absolutely love my down for anything clients who aren't scared of a little rain/mud, have fun no matter what, and trust me!! I am SO excited for their wedding this fall at Wild Basin Lodge!

It's no wonder this session was featured on Rocky Mountain Bride! Check out the full blog post here.

Here is a little tidbit on their story and proposal from Tiara:

Tom and I met in Texas on Tinder, in early 2016. I think we were both fed up with the dating game and he made me laugh right away! He was intimidated by my triathlete photos on my profile. His profile said, “Oh, I’m a better cook than you”- Clearly trying to flirt with any woman that passed by HIS profile. We “matched” and I wrote him first. I said, “What makes you think you’re a better cook than me?” He responded with, “Well, you look like the kind of girl that eats dry chicken breast and broccoli for lunch, so …yea. I’m definitely a better cook than you.” What a jackass, haha! The truth was, I couldn’t stop laughing. Because guess what I had for lunch? Yep. Dry chicken breast and broccoli- the ultimate healthy meal prep for a single gal training for a triathlon. 

Tom and I talked nonstop for weeks, and then he finally drove to San Antonio to take me out ;) The rest is history! 

Fast forward a year and a half later, Tom followed me to Colorado, where my Army career has taken me. We have loved every second of living in this beautiful state together.

One day in August, Tom and I had just returned home from a visit to see his family. Tom had made plans for right when we got back to Colorado to go get his compound bow tuned with our friend, Nick. He said we’d grab lunch later with Janel, Nick’s wife, and one of my best friends. After the guys returned, we got ready to head to lunch and I was touching up my makeup in the bathroom. Tom rushed into the bathroom, telling me his friend Sean had lost his puppy in Ute Valley Park. Ute Valley is a gorgeous park of trails near the house. So Tom said we HAD to go help him find his dog. Sooooo…at this point, I’m like, okay this is strange. But Tom is ALWAYS dropping everything to help anyone he can and I knew I needed to shut up and go help haha. Nick, Tom, and I get in the car, and I can’t help thinking how the HECK are we going to find a dog on all this land. We start walking down a trail and Nick is kind of trailing us. I stop walking and I’m like, HEY! How do you know the dog is that way? I should go this way….or I’ll just stand guard right here (I’m a little annoyed :)). Tom walked over a hill and said- no, Tiara, come up here! Didn’t you hear that??? And I heard a dog yelping! 

Then I said, “ok….this is too weird. How the heck did we know exactly where this dog was? And it sounds conveniently stuck to a tree?” LOL. So I walk up the hill and the most gorgeous Golden Retriever in all the land is staring at me. I’m like, wait….that’s MY DOG!!!! (I’ve wanted a Golden for a long time). And Tom said, “Go look at the collar!!!” And I was like, “ARE YOU KIDDING?! IS THIS MINE?!?!!?!?” I looked at the collar and just saw my name on the collar. “IS THIS MY DOG?!??!?!?” Meanwhile, Tom is getting on one knee behind me and I thought he was just kneeling to pick up the dog hahahaha. I had NO IDEA he was proposing. I could NOT keep my cool over the puppy!!!! And if I had looked a second longer at the collar, I would’ve seen a RING and the other side of the dog tag that said, WILL YOU MARRY ME? Nope…..I had no clue. Hahahaha. I was beside myself. Tom grabbed my hands, told me he loved me and said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. And then he asked. 

And I just stood there. I think I was in shock? I collected myself and said OF COURSE!! Like, you just brought me a puppy, dude. Hahahaha. Smoooooooth.

It has never been a question that I would marry Tom. Now, the puppy….that was the bonus hahahahaha!!!!!!! It was soooooo perfect! So unexpected! And so beautiful to be in our backyard. This puppy is the cutest thing on earth and I feel incredibly lucky to have this beautiful moment and this wonderful little family to treasure forever <3. We have been SO lucky to find each other.