An Officer and a Fiancé - A Navy Couple's Engagement Story in Photographs

KC reached out to me over a year ago to inquire about a couple's photo session for her and her then newly engaged fiancé, Brendan, an officer in the U.S. Navy. We confirmed a date for early 2018, but had to reschedule when Brendan was deployed. It was going to be a long deployment, so we rescheduled for late in 2018, and after a year of planning and waiting, we were finally able to do their session! And man oh man, was it worth the wait.

KC and Brendan share some of their story with us below, so read on for the juicy details of how they met, and how Brendan proposed. (Also, I'm super stoked to be participating in another blog circle this month, so be sure to read to the end, and follow the link at the bottom so you can follow the circle, and see the work of some pretty amazing artists!)

1) What’s your story – how/where did you meet?

We met at the University of Wisconsin while at school. We shared a number of mutual friends and started dating the beginning on my junior year, beginning of his senior. One of our first dates was his inviting me to his ROTC Naval ball that fall.

2) What was your first impression of each other?

We were members of the same group of friends for a while before dating. We were always friendly with each other but not the closest friends until the summer before my junior year. After a lot of patience and persistence from Brendan we started dating a few months later. It took a while for me to get on board. Brendan likes to share a story when he first saw me at a football game a year before we starting dating. He even remembers the outfit I was wearing!

3) Where was your first date?

As I mentioned before, I was the reluctant one early in our relationship. It was when he had to leave for a week for ROTC training, I realized I was missing him terribly. I asked him to come over and watch a movie at my apartment the day he came back. He showed up with a bottle of wine for my roommate and a six pack of beer for her boyfriend. He won them over very quickly.

4) What is your favorite thing about each other?

*Meanwhile in the car*

Brendan: can I say boobs and butt?

KC: No.

Brendan: ok, then I love how you make me feel. And you are the nicest person I have ever met.

For me, he always makes me laugh. Regardless of the day either of us have we never go to bed angry. He wants to do nothing more than make me happy.

5) How are you most alike? How are you most different?

While laughing, Brendan says we are alike because we both hate the same things (loud eaters, people stealing our seats at the bar, ice skating - really winter sports in general - and having to leave the house on Saturday). We both have very sarcastic and dry senses of humor.

We are very different in the way we interact with new people. I like to talk for the sake of talking. Brendan on the other hand will really only join a conversation when he has something meaningful to say. He likes to read the room in a way. He also hates blue cheese and tomatoes which I completely don't understand.

6) Can you tell me about the proposal?

Brendan proposed at the Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens in Stamford on October 1st (2017) after three years and three different states together. It was a very intimate moment just the two of us. The proposal itself was very unplanned as he found out he was going underway the previous week with just a week before he shipped out! He already had the ring purchased and decided to just go for it.