Oh man! If I wasn’t already in love with Destany and Ryan before their engagement session, this lovely evening spent at Howell Territorial Park with these two certainly sealed the deal!

I got to Howell a tad early, and spent a few minutes taking advantage of the surprisingly good wifi to answer a few e-mails when I saw a large truck pull up and spied Destany and Ryan hop out and take a brief walk around the park. They too were early, following my advice in my Bridal Magazine, arriving ahead of schedule giving them a few minutes to walk around and work out the butterflies that normally start fluttering any time you know you’re about to have your photo taken. When they returned from their brief walk I hopped out of my jeep and greeted them for the first time in person.

Ryan was all smiles and Destany was looking 1,000% stunning with natural but enhancing makeup and flowing loose curls framing her gorgeous bright eyes and beautiful face. What she did next was definitely the sweetest thing that’s ever happened to me in an engagement session!

Reaching back into the truck she said, “We brought you something…” and turned around to hand me a GIGANTIC package of Twizzlers and a card thanking me for being their photographer! If you know anything about me… you know I have a soft spot for Twizzlers! My mom always seems to stock a cabinet with a package when I come up for Christmas and I just can’t seem to stay out of them! Twizzlers and coffee, two vices I'll just never give up!

Destany and Ryan must have spied my twirler obsession on my website and they were sweet enough to bring me this amazing little treat that I have absolutely been enjoying while late editing nights have kept me up into the “sweet tooth craving” hours.

After this amazingness, Destany Ryan and I walked into Howell to find a little patch of sun to learn a bit about posing, although to be honest these two were naturals. Ryan had admitted to me when we first met that he’s pretty nervous in front of a camera, but get him looking at Destany or whispering something silly in her ear and man does that guy’s smile light up!

Destany and Ryan met for a first date just a stone’s throw away from where Dom and I used to live at the Rhododendron Gardens in SE. They bonded over a love of coffee (My kind of people!) an enthusiasm for the outdoors and a strong sense of family.

Destaney especially appreciated that when first asking her our Ryan suggested meeting for coffee and a stroll in a garden where they could really get to know each other. Their first date was followed by many others, hanging out several times a week seeing movies together, jet skiing, and hiking.

Ryan at the time lived out in Sandy, so after a year of dating Destany made the move out to that little town in at the base of the stunning Mount Hood and not too long thereafter, Ryan popped the big question while on a hike to Sahalish Falls.

Destany and Ryan are just the perfect Kate Holt Photography couple. They are quick to laugh and totally down to do any of the crazy things that I ask to get “that perfect shot" (such as walking through a field of spiky thistles! ah! you guys are amazing!)

After enjoying getting to know these two a bit, we headed back to the cars where they swapped their casual outfits for something a little more dressy and we strolled through fields of fading summer flowers, Destany making her flowing gown ripple in the wind and me freaking out like a kid on Christmas about how gorgeous the sunset light looked on these two incredible people.

As the golden hour transitioned to blue hour we wrapped up the engagement session and parted ways. I’m so very excited for Destany and Ryan’s wedding at the stunning East Fork Country Estate next summer! East Fork is one of our absolute FAVORITE venues, and to spend a day there with these two and their family and friends is going to be an absolute dream,.

Enjoy this small selection of highlights from this amazing engagement shoot and be sure to drop some love for Destaney and Ryan in the comments section at the bottom!