I had the best time with Kelsey & Dan, exploring the trails along the Erie Canal at Fort Herkimer Church in Mohawk, NY! of Rome, NY for their engagement session. They kept each other laughing and smiling the entire session. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful evening or golden light to end their session with!
I loved getting to know more about Kelsey & Dan and their love story! Here's what I learned:
How did you meet?
Dan: "We met at college. We lived across the hall from each other. We were really good friends at first, but secretly I had a small crush on her! After we graduated, and both became single, I decided I needed to shoot my shot! Worked out pretty well!!"
Kelsey: "We both went to separate community colleges for the first 2 years of college, and then both transferred to SUNY Oneonta our junior year. We lived in a hallway designated for transfer students, and actually lived right across the hall from each other. I think somebody introduced us on one of the first nights because they realized we were both from the Utica area. We grew up about 25 minutes apart but never knew each other until we went away to college together! Anyway we met in the hallway right outside our rooms and I'll always remember he was wearing a tank top, plaid shorts, and really bulky shoes. :)"
What was your first date?
Kelsey: "We didn't start dating until a few years after we met; once we had graduated from college and both moved back home. We both were recently single and decided to hang out since it had been over a year since we had graduated college and had seen each other. I guess our first "date" would be when we went to Bite in Utica to get lunch and catch up, and then went for a walk on a nature trail after. I did not consider this a date at the time because in my mind we were truly just two pals catching up! But as we kept hanging out after that I changed my mind :)"
Dan: "Shortly after we both became single, she messaged me on Snapchat asking to hang out (her boyfriend right before didn't like me.. can't imagine why!). She didn't think it was a date at the time, but I knew from the start I was going to try to make it one! We went to Bite Café in Utica and I paid for everything, then we went on a nature walk in Marcy right after. When we got back home I asked her if she wanted to do it again and she said yes! She didn't even realize I was asking her out at the time then either!!"
Do you have a favorite date you've ever been on together?
Kelsey: "I don't know if I would consider this a date but the first thing that comes to mind is when we went for a weekend to Lake Placid and I convinced him to go on a 10 mile hike with me. I knew it was not supposed to be the nicest day that day but we were already staying in Lake Placid so I was dead set on doing this specific hike. The hike itself was not incredibly difficult but it was about 5 miles to the top, and he is definitely more of a 1 or 2 mile hike kind of guy. We got to the top and it was completely covered in clouds/fog and we could not see a thing. I was so annoyed but wanted to wait it out so we could at least get somewhat of a view. I just remember he waited up there with me on the top of the mountain (we were the only people there) for about an hour with it raining, freezing, and windy until the clouds started to shift a little so we could see the mountain. It was definitely one of those moments where I knew he was my person!!"
Dan: "That would probably be our first anniversary when we went away to Watkins Glenn. It was our first overnight trip together. We drove up and got what we both thought was the BEST chicken wing pizza at this small Italian place in town. Right after, we walked the Watkins Glenn Gorge together, which is always beautiful! We stayed in a hotel that night, then the next day, we went to the Corning Museum of Glass on a whim, which turned out pretty nice!"
Tell me about your first kiss!
Kelsey: "We were on another nature trail walk together and there was this part where you could go off the trail to look at the view (which was really just an ugly swamp). He kissed me there and we always joke about how our first kiss was 'out on the bog'."
Dan: "We had gone on a walk together on another nature trail. This was our 3rd date, and I knew I wanted to do it! We had come to a part of the trail that overlooked this bog with a little landing. No one else was around, so I made my move!"
Kelsey, What made you fall in love with Dan? What do you love most about him?
Kelsey: "What really made me fall in love with him and what made me attracted to him in the first place is his sense of humor. I love that he is able to joke around and not take himself too seriously. He doesn't care what other people think about him and can literally dance in a public area with no care in the world. It's made me care less about what other people think of me and just laugh at myself instead of getting embarrassed or paranoid. What I love most about him is the way he treats me like gold and I never have to wonder if he loves me, because his actions and words always show that he does."
Dan, What made you fall in love with Kelsey? What do you love most about her?
Dan: "She was in grad school most of the first part our relationship, so she often had a lot of work that she had to do (studying, projects, presentations, etc.) I remember I had just had a really bad day at work one day and was at a possible risk of losing my job. I texted her about it, and she dropped everything that she was doing to come over and make me feel better! That was when I knew I was falling in love with her."
How did you get engaged?
Dan: "I had been planning on doing it for a while, and I knew it was going to happen in 2021 at some point. I had gone to get the ring in the middle of February, and was expecting it to take a few weeks to be able to come in. They told me though that it would be ready by the end of the week! I knew her friend was taking her out of town that Friday (and was in on my plan), so I knew that would be my best chance. I pretended to be working from home that morning, and after she left, I went to work decorating the apartment, cleaning up, and I went to get us some champagne and a dessert. Her friend honked on the horn to let me know they were back and I had got super nervous! She walked into out apartment and saw all the pictures I had hung up of our relationship. Then I got down on one knee, and the rest is history!
Kelsey: My best friend took me to Syracuse for the day so we could go out to eat and go to this plant store we had been wanting to go to. Once we pulled into my driveway, she started acting weird saying things like "don't forget to call me later!" even though we just spent all day together. When I walked in our apartment, I started walking into the living room and could tell furniture had been arranged and something was going on. When I turned the corner, I saw Dan standing there with a "Marry me" sign that had pictures of us on it. I honestly don't even remember what he said or what I said because I was so caught off guard and flustered! I just kept asking the same questions over and over because I couldn't process what he had said when he first answered them."
What are you most looking forward to about your wedding?
Dan: "Seeing our family and friends, and having a small shindig with PLENTY of alcohol!"
Kelsey: "Having a small and intimate ceremony, and then a laid back reception where I won't feel anxious being the center of attention or feel major pressure when things don't go as planned (because they never do!)"
I am certainly looking forward to Kelsey & Dan's wedding this year at Cristman Barn!
Are you recently engaged or in the midst of wedding planning? I'd love to chat with you about wedding photography! Please fill out my contact form to get started! :)
