Listen up folks, this love story is for the books! Nikki and Ryan, who took their engagement photos at Planting Fields Arboretum, have a crazy story on how they met.

The two had both signed up for Plenty of Fish, the dating website and found one another. They messaged back and forth for a few days but when Nikki went to send Ryan a message, the website had kicked her off. She tried to sign back in but had no such luck. She called the company and tried to solve the issue, but still could not get back on. So, Nikki had created an entirely new account just to look for Ryan.

Meanwhile, Ryan had begun to believe that Nikki was no longer interested and was about to move on. Luckily, however, he looked her up and messaged her one last time. From there they met up and instantly clicked, sharing crazy online dating stories. And the rest, as they say, is history!

At last Ryan decided it was time to ask his girlfriend to become his wife!

Ryan and Nikki both share a love for the great outdoors. Ryan had recently heard about this place called Avalon Park and Preserve. Thinking this was the perfect proposal location, he took their dog and went to scout it out.

A few days later, he slyly mentioned to Nikki that they should take a walk at this “new” place he’d heard about. At the time, Nikki was 16 weeks pregnant and thought some exercise is just what she needed.

As it turned out, that day ended up being one of the coldest of the season, but Nikki told Ryan to “man up and bundle up!” and they set off on their walk. During their stroll, Nikki ended up getting a pretty bad cramp so Ryan suggested they turn back. Luckily, Nikki was determined to finish.

The two had almost arrived at “the spot” which was a clearing hidden by some tall weeds. This was when Ryan had noticed another couple walk into the clearing, so he had to stall. He looked around and then noticed that Nikki’s shoe was untied. He kneeled down to tie it, taking his dear sweet time. Nikki didn’t notice a thing.

As the other couple left, Nikki and Ryan made their way into the clearing. Nikki marveled at the beautiful trees and large rocks in a circle as Ryan got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. Nikki said yes (obviously!) just as a man who happened to be a photographer walked by. They convinced him to take a picture of them.

The couple chose Planting Fields Arboretum as their engagement shoot location because they wanted those beautiful fall colors to be the backdrop of their photos. Nikki also loved the versatility of the place with old buildings and landscapes.

They had no plan for their shoot, just a general idea as they both don’t know much about photography. “I really left it up to our photographer to take the reins. I feel like the photos always come out great when not only us, but the photographers feel comfortable.”

The weather at Planting Fields Arboretum ended up working out great the day of the shoot. It was not too cold and the trees still had those brilliant fall colors. Overall, the couple was super happy with how the photos turned out, even Ryan who is not a fan of getting his picture taken didn’t mind it. They believe taking these photos with us ahead of time gave them a sense of what feels comfortable, and that’s all we hope for!

We are thrilled to be taking photos at Nikki and Ryan’s wedding, especially since we had a blast at Planting Fields Arboretum! #togetheratglass #theglassslipperfits