All images by Orange County Wedding Photographer Edmund Prieto

For those of you who don’t know… Rachael and I are now engaged! We met in Ethiopia in September on my third day in the country. It took me one week until I realized that she was the woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The chemistry was always there, but it was the timing that was the tricky part. When we met, she lived in Ethiopia and planned to be there for a total of two years. Due to unforeseeable circumstances, she moved back to Texas (where she is from) a few days before Christmas. Luckily, I had already ordered her ring and it was scheduled to be ready by the time she made it home. We used her mother’s original engagement stone as the center stone and designed the ring around it. I met her family (father included) while she was still overseas.

We made plans to ring in the New Year in Austin Texas, where several of our friends would be. Little did she know that I had asked both of our families, as well as a few other friends to join in the celebration later that evening. I also flew in my friend and fellow photographer Edmund Prieto from California to capture the whole thing! He did an amazing job and he will be our wedding photographer as well! Be sure to head over to his blog and show him some love! You can see his post from our proposal here: Austin Proposal Photography

I told her that I had a surprise for her and that she would need to be ready a little early. I picked her up, and we headed to the capital… but that’s all that she knew. I don’t think I said a single word the whole way because I was so nervous! Finally we walked up to the scene that Edmund and Cory helped set up moments before where I played a song for her, read scripture and then I dropped to one knee and asked the big question! She said yes! We then shared communion, followed by a time of prayer. I called Edmund out from hiding and we took a few photos before we headed back to the house where the surprise party was waiting for us!

It was a truly special night, surrounded by friends and family. Jake & Ally put on a little concert for us, and we ended the night by setting off some illegal fireworks that her Dad had purchased! Stay tuned as we will post images from the engagement session in just a few days!