It didn’t take long before we fell in love with Lauren & Chris’ breathtaking Arizona desert engagement session. Not only does it have the prettiest horses and landscape, but a chic and stylish couple as well with a love story that will bring sweetness to your heart. With one heartwarming detail after another, we just can’t get enough of the images Melissa Baker of BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY sent our way! We love the sense of freedom, love, and joy reflected through the couple’s natural interaction, all captured beautifully to illustrate true emotions. Let us indulge in this fun and romantic session below.
Love story
From the couple (Lauren & Chris): We met in Phoenix when Chris moved into town for work. It was destined to be when Lauren told all her friends a cute Canadian guy was going to start working in her office in November and Chris told his friends he was in big trouble, because a hot blonde chick worked in his new office. After settling in to his new role at the office, Lauren (being the nice coworker she was) offered to show him the town and meet for happy hour. They fought the attraction for a few weeks but one cold, rainy night in December, after a lot of board games, pasta and wine, they sealed it with a kiss! They’ve been together ever since!
The proposal story
Lauren & Chris: Chris planned a date night to view the Chihuly blown glass exhibit at the Desert Botanical Gardens. They met at Chris’ office and drove down to the gardens together. After a glass of wine at the bar, they headed out to walk the exhibit. The sun started setting and they arrived at the final loop of the tour through the Desert Wildflower Loop trail.
As they turned down a side path, there was a sign lit in the background. As they walked closer, Chris asked what it said. Lauren read it out loud, “It says Will You Marry Me?” Lauren thought “Huh, someone must have just gotten engaged.”
As they walked closer, Chris was grinning and Lauren laughed, telling him it wasn’t a funny joke to hijack someone’s proposal. Then, he got down on one knee and told Lauren he wanted to marry her. She asked him if he was serious and then said YES! It was the best.date.ever!
Inspiration and vision behind the session
From the bride-to-be (Lauren): My vision behind the session was defined in some areas and vague in others. We knew we wanted to stay true to ourselves, capture our love in timeless photos but also have a little fun and ham it too!
I knew I wanted to incorporate my life long love of horses into the shoot so we spent an afternoon at my ranch with Lutalo and Declan; the horses are model-worthy themselves and only made the scenery more beautiful. Again, capturing the beauty of the Sonoran desert, we were able to liven it up with rope tricks, and walking off into the sunset.
The photos turned out more amazing then I could have ever dreamed they would be. Not only are the beautiful works of art, they have captured the love we share for each other and will continue to remind us of it for years to come!
Thoughts from the photographer
Melissa Baker: My vision was to capture everything I love about Arizona along with Lauren and Chris’ love for one another.
I have a personal connection to Arizona as I have a lot of family living in the Phoenix area. I have spent a great deal of time there, and I am in love with the landscape and of course the incredible sunsets.
When my cousin Chris broke the news that he had proposed to his girlfriend Lauren, I was so happy for them. I was even happier to be on the next flight out to Phoenix to photograph their engagement session.
Lauren wanted to incorporate her love for horses into the session somehow as she spends a great deal of time horseback riding and training. We had the opportunity to shoot the session at her ranch and I wanted the images to convey her connection to horses. I wanted to incorporate movement, and natural interaction between the couple and the horses, so we went across the road to a beautiful open space where they often ride. I also wanted to feature Lauren and Chris’ playful side, so I asked her if she could bring a rope to the photo session. Little did I know that she has some amazing roping skills! Overall, working with Lauren and Chris in the Arizona desert was an incredible experience as a photographer.
About BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY
BAKEPHOTOGRAPHY features the work of wedding photographer Melissa Baker. She has been working as a professional photographer since 2007, and has spent the past 3 years specializing in weddings. Her office is located in the heart of Kitsilano,Vancouver, BC. She works locally and loves to travel for weddings as well. Melissa’s style is photo-journalistic, natural, vibrant, and fun. Her goal is to capture your personality and tell your story through her images.
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