Natalie & Wendell’s Boyce Thompson Arboretum engagement session was a stunner! It was the perfect time of year for a visit to the Arboretum, as everything was green, blooming and lush. We nearly had the place to ourselves which made for a relaxed, fun afternoon.

I asked Wendell to tell me about how he proposed:

“We got engaged on March 24, 2019, on my 39th birthday. The proposal was about ten years in the making, and long overdue.

Since 2015, we had been living apart due to work obligations (me in D.C. and then Tucson, Natalie in Denver and then Phoenix), but that was no longer an excuse to postpone the proposal. After (too) many months of saving money, researching diamond rings, and planning the perfect proposal, it was time to propose.

But first, I had to ask her parents for permission to marry their daughter. Instead of simply asking her father for his permission (which would have been a nerve-wracking occasion itself), we made it a family function with me asking her family (mom, dad, at least one brother and sister-in-law) for permission, with Natalie present at the family gathering.

The proposal itself was never going to be a surprise, Natalie just didn’t know when it would happen. Fast forward a few months later, and I was still carrying around the engagement ring in my pocket waiting for the perfect opportunity to propose. That opportunity came after a long day out with family and friends celebrating my birthday. After finally settling into the couch for the evening, I reached over and asked for her hand in marriage.”

Congrats you two! So excited for your wedding this spring at Boojum Tree!

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