Jeff and Nicola's Spring Engagement Near CDA

They met on Match.com. This isn't surprising these days, as almost everyone seems to meet online. I asked them what attracted them to each other's online profiles and I got an answer I hear a lot - the person looked "real" on the other end. In other words, they didn't look like the other person was trying to be fake, or put their best foot forward, they were just being themselves.

So they started talking - and it went well. Even their humor (which doesn't translate very well over the internet most of the time) seemed to be aligned. They only talked for about a week when Jeff suggested they meet. He had heard so many times that people can just get stuck talking online, but he wanted to meet Nicola, and see if she was as real - and as awesome - as it seemed.

So they planned a date at the Coeur d'Alene Resort to walk around the boardwalk. And while it's the longest floating boardwalk in the world, it still isn't that long. Which works out, because if they wanted to move on, there would be an out. Turns out, they didn't want to move on. When they first met in person (after not being able to find each other initially) Nicola told me that her first thought was "what a handsome, kind looking man." - and Jeff said he thought she was "exactly as he had hoped she would be". It is actually awesome watching them talk about each other, watching them tell their story. So many smiles, hugs, and just glances that speak so much to the joy these two bring each other.

In the end, the date went super well. They talked for hours, and Jeff walked Nicola to her car. There, Jeff stepped out in boldness and said something along the lines of "I need to do this" and he bent down and kissed her.

Nicola, for her part, was so surprised she forgot to kiss back. It wasn't that she didn't like it, it was just more of a surprise than anything. So with that, Jeff walked away and would send her a text later that night telling her how much fun he had, and so forth.

Nicola wouldn't reply.

Well, at least that was his perception. Because she actually DID reply - it just didn't go through. So there was Jeff, thinking he somehow messed up, and there was Nicola, wondering why he didn't reply to her funny joke in the reply. Both of them asking themselves "did I feel this wrong?"

In the end, they would figure it out, and they would start to date. But really, it was that first night when Jeff would realize how special Nicola was. It was that very night that he would think "Wow, this person could be someone I could marry" - she's that awesome.

From the moment I met these two I have loved talking with them. It's easy to talk with them, laugh with them, and have a conversation. They are kind, thoughtful, and man did I love hearing (and watching) them tell their story. I'm excited to share these engagement photos with you, and I hope you love them as much as I loved taking them.