After catching each other’s eye on Instagram, Travis knew there was something so unique and different about Carolyn that he decided to ask her out on a date. On their second date, Carolyn recalls how special it was and how she knew there was something wonderful about Travis already. “I made Travis steak tacos and he brought over a case of Pacifico (yes, an entire case for dinner.) We sat in my backyard and listened to Jimmy Buffett and talked for hours. We probably would have been out there all night had there not been a massive thunderstorm that rolled in, I’ll never forget how he tried to hold his plate over my head to keep me dry as we scrambled to get everything inside of the house.”

They share a love unlike any other and are ready to spend eternity with each other, side by side. Travis proposed in the sweetest way, a way that Carolyn is sure to never forget. “A week before kite festival, Travis took my parents for a drink to ask permission to marry me (they obviously said yes.) He had spent months designing the ring with our friend and jeweler, Alyssa, in order to have it ready in time for the annual Kites Over Lake Michigan festival in Manitowoc. Following our tradition, we got a bottle of Riesling and a tray of taco dip and headed down to Point Beach State Park, despite questionable weather. When we arrived, he made me carry a picnic basket onto the wet beach…I complained about sand sticking to my legs as we trudged down to the most secluded spot on the shore. He took the cooler with food in it and started to lay everything out along with his cameras, then told me to open the picnic basket. Inside was a bottle of Perrier-Jouet, four Kate Spade flutes, and a dozen white roses. While I was instagramming and gushing about the beautiful picnic setup he managed to put together as a surprise, he got down to one knee with the ring. I cried (a lot, let’s face it) and told him yes of course and we watched the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. In the end, the weather cleared up and we were able to watch the paper lantern sendoff as well as fireworks, it was truly a magical evening.”

For our session, we returned to Point Beach in Two Rivers, Wisconsin where Travis proposed. We met right before sunrise and drove to the beach together as Taylor Swift’s new album serenaded us in the car. Arriving just in time, we photographed along the shore of Lake Michigan as the sun came up to greet us. After the beautiful sunrise, we walked through the state park’s trails, making even more photos. Sunny from Ebb and Flow Flowers created a gorgeous floral bouquet for our session.

View their full, gorgeous gallery on PASS – Carolyn & Travis