Waveny Park Engagement Session in New Canaan, CT | Kate & David

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These West Coasters arrived from California early on Friday morning, just in time for their ridiculously cold Connecticut engagement session with Arturo and me that evening! Kate and David were champs during their bitterly cold session at Waveny Park in New Canaan, especially since they had just come from 75° weather! It was extra windy on that afternoon, making our normal 28° feel like it was below zero. Luckily we had some of the most gorgeous light that Arturo and I have photographed a session in all winter, which definitely made up for our frozen hands and faces!

Kate is a California native, while David grew up here in Connecticut. David was stationed in California when he was in the U.S. Navy, which ultimately led to him meeting Kate! One weekend the two planned a camping trip along the beach in Santa Cruz with their pup, Sam. Despite the unseasonably hot weather, David decided to wear his jacket he'd taken with him on the trip as they began to walk along the beach with Sam (luckily Kate didn't think much of the jacket!). As they continued on their walk along the water, David asked Kate how long they had been together. Because they had had a similar conversation recently where he had told her that he wanted to be dating for at least two years before proposing, Kate was only half listening to David... until he started to reach into his pocket! She then thought to herself, "How rude, he's actually pretending he has a ring!". Even as David got down on one knee before opening the little black box, Kate still didn't believe he was actually proposing! She was truly surprised to see a beautiful engagement ring (instead of the earrings she expected to be in the box!) as she burst into tears and said yes! After gathering herself, Kate asked David if he had asked for her parents' permission, to which he responded with a mumbled, "Yeah". She then asked him if he'd asked her best friend, which he responded with another mumbled "Yeah". Kate, David, and Sam returned to their campground and celebrated the evening with plenty of champagne!

The next morning, they packed up their campsite and headed back home. As they walked into their house, Sam ran up the stairs and started barking like crazy, leading Kate to believe they were being robbed! Luckily she was soon put at ease, as she saw her parents (who live in Texas!) walking down the stairs. David had asked them to come out for the weekend to celebrate, and Kate realized David had had a pretty extensive conversation with them about the proposal. To continue adding to the load of surprises she had received that weekend, David told her the four of them were going to her favorite restaurant in San Francisco, A16, to celebrate their engagement! She took the day to soak everything in and treat herself to a manicure to compliment her new diamond ring. When David, Kate and her parents arrived at A16, she discovered two of her best friends waiting for them, who were also in on the surprise! Kate was honored that everyone had rearranged their schedules for that three day weekend to celebrate her and David! As it turns out, David had let her parents AND her best friends in on his proposal plans several months earlier when he'd began his ring shopping and location scouting!

Kate and David are tying the knot at Candlelight Farms Inn in New Milford, Connecticut this June, and we're so excited to celebrate them!