This original blog post was so popular, I felt it was worth a repeat. This time, I included their wedding photographs!
Congrats on 3 1/2 years of wedded bliss Mr. & Mrs. Fukuda!
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Beginning:
It all started one hopeful April day at the beginning of a brand-spanking new job. I hadn’t even started and I’d already had a virtual, friend of a friend that I was to seek out when I began on this new path. Man, am I glad I did! That girl, Miss Jennifer, sure turned out to be a gem! Over a few short years, we became very good friends. And so it was with great joy and extreme pain (of keeping a secret), when Miss Jennifer’s boyfriend, Mr. Kenn, asked me if I would be able to help him capture the proposal! Of course, I SAID YES! 😀
Mr. Kenn is a pretty amazing man himself and his organizing and planning enthusiasm are right on par for the course. We plodded, chatted and scoped out areas, and then changed everything … just for fun! 😉
Proposal Day:
This wedding and surprise engagement photographer is waiting in hiding for these two lovebirds to disembark their dinner cruise on the St. Croix River. I tried extremely hard to reduce the amount of creeper wavelengths to the hoards of families and other lovebirds along the river; however, a girl hanging out with a telephoto lens hiding in open stairwells next to the water doesn’t exactly scream, “I’m normal, really, no need to contact the authorities!”
Anyway, so there I sit, anxiously awaiting the moment, while trying to explain to on-lookers how legit I am with this super sweet proposal I’m about to capture.
Oh wait, here they come, ok kids, its go time! Clickty-click. Oh craps, Mr. Kenn took an early detour! Uhhh, what to do! I got this, leave my expensive equipment there in the unoccupied stairwell next to crashing waves of water, and RUN! Oops, heads up, three foot curb ahead, jump! Ok, keep shooting, grab some breath (mental reminder to up my short distance sprints). Oh crap, keep shooting cause he’s down, the knee has hit the ground people! Got it! Yes! I’m pretty sure she said yes, dang, I hope so, because now about 45 people are watching them, and this frantic woman sprinting, lenses bouncing, jumping curbs and avoiding picnics to get the shot! Ahh, good, there is applause and all is good in the land!
Aftershock:
Phew! That was fun, but who knew it was going to be a cross-fit workout! New plan: Bring assistant.
While I was thrilled about being a part of this very personal event, I was even more filled with joy at the sight of these two together. I can’t possibly do their happiness justice with my words, but I am hopeful that these pictures can relay the sheer love and adoration they have for one another. What a simply amazing couple!
Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Fukuda!
P.S. For those of you hanging on the for answer, yes, my camera gear was still in the stairwell and partially dry. 😉
Update:
This Minnesota wedding photographer was privileged enough to photograph this engaged couple in San Francisco for their fall destination wedding.
California, San Francisco, non-the-less, is a gorgeous area to photograph in and so much excitement everywhere. Yes, there are even more crazy stories to tell from this California destination wedding! Alas, I will save these for another time. 😉 Teaser: A tooth filling that came out on the trolly on the San Francisco-Oakland Bay bridge, now forever lives in the San Francisco Bay. Never a dull moment with Sarah Grace, folks.
Enjoy the photos from this Minneapolis couples Stillwater engagement on the St. Croix River in Minnesota and their San Francisco destination wedding at The Claremont Club & Spa in Berkeley, CA.
