Sydney and Alex’s love story has a quiet kind of magic to it. The kind that begins in a moment you don’t expect and unfolds into something deeply meaningful. I had the honor of capturing their romantic Lilac Hill engagement session in Louisville, Nebraska! It was shortly after their beautiful proposal, and hearing how it all began made the whole session even more special!

A Med School Meet-Cute

They met at the University of Nebraska Medical Center during grad school orientation week. Sydney was beginning her program in genetic counseling, and Alex was starting med school. As part of the Interprofessional Development Days, students were split into mixed groups to get to know each other. Sydney and Alex landed in the same group, and while the activities were designed for team building, fate clearly had its own plans.

At the end of the day, Alex noticed Sydney packing up slowly. He walked with her and asked about her program, hoping to keep the moment going. But the conversation ended there. Still, he couldn’t stop thinking about her! So he did what any determined med student would do, he found her on the student directory and sent her an email. As he put it…. “professionally slid into her DMs,”. Sydney was equally intrigued and honestly shocked to hear from him again! She figured their paths wouldn’t cross after that orientation week, so seeing his name in her inbox made her heart skip a beat, and the rest was history!

A Sentimental Proposal by the Lake

Fast forward to this past year, when Alex was finally ready to pop the question. He’d been holding onto the ring since August and, in his words, “completely blew it” when he accidentally let Sydney know he had it. They’d talked about getting engaged, so she had her suspicions but he still wanted to plan something thoughtful and memorable. Every year, they travel to Wisconsin to visit Alex’s brother, and this time, they split the trip between both of their families. He picked out a quiet little beach where they’d been before, told her they were just going fishing, and made sure both families were involved. His parents, brother, and sister-in-law came along with fishing gear, while a local photographer he reached out to waited in hiding nearby.

When the moment came, Alex got down on one knee with the lake behind them. Sydney of course said yes, and then turned around to find her family there too, ready to celebrate! It was intimate, heartfelt, and full of joy. I didn’t photograph the proposal, but hearing them describe it felt like watching a romantic movie unfold. Every detail was intentional, and it made their proposal feel like the perfect reflection of who they are: grounded, thoughtful, and surrounded by love!

A Session to Remember at Lilac Hill

When we met up for their engagement session at Lilac Hill, the setting felt like a dream. Lush green fields, soft light, and those quiet in-between moments that make everything feel real. Sydney and Alex were relaxed, present, and so easy together. You could feel the years of knowing one another in every glance and every small laugh. And of course they had to bring their dog along for the fun!

Their session was about more than portraits. It was about honoring the start of something new, while carrying their full story with them, and I loved every minute of it! This Romantic Lilac Hill engagement session in Louisville, Nebraska wasn’t just a beautiful afternoon, it was a reflection of two people who built something real, right from the beginning. And I’m so honored I got to be a part of this chapter!

Keep scrolling to see the highlights from their gallery!

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Kind Words

“… Looking through our wedding photos, for the first time, brought tears to our eyes as we relived that day through them.” -Catherine + Steve