Jarrod proposed to Emily in one of the best possible places–a bookstore. While it wasn’t the bookstore, the owner of Better World Books in Goshen was gracious enough to give us free rein in the store for the first part of their session, after chatting over ice cream. Jarrod’s a student at the Air Force Academy, and returned from Poland the day before the session; Emily recently graduated from Goshen College, and also happens to blog about her wedding-planning. Leandra and I felt a lot in common with Emily and Jarrod (besides our love of bookstores, Regina Spektor, and Olive Garden soup, of course). While there’s a lot of uncertainty to being a twenty-something (and being closer to the 20 than the 30!), there’s also an amount of choice that’s both exciting and terrifying. We got the feeling that they, like Leandra and I, want to fully weigh and take advantage of that amount of choice as we all choose where to build our lives, how to build them, and what to build them around.

Leandra and I both just like the quiet and abstract qualities of these next two. Hands can say just as much about a couple’s interactions as faces.

The book Emily’s holding? That was a book Jarrod wrote and had bound that tells the story of “them.” He planted it in the Barnes and Noble children’s section the night he proposed, “found” it, read it with her, and then popped the question.

My favorite set:

Leandra’s favorite:

The next picture shows the last page of the book: “Will you Marry Me?”

I don’t know about anyone else, but for me everything leading up to “the question” was exciting, fun, and easy. When it came time to actually ask it, it felt a little out-of-body mixed with a feeling I can only describe as  I-feel-like-I-have-to-give-a-5-minute-speech-on-prime-time-TV-even-though-it’s-just-four-words-in-front-of-Leandra. I didn’t get cold feet, I just all of a sudden realized the enormity of what I was about to ask. Of course Leandra immediately said yes (just like Emily!), and the feeling only lasted that long, but for those few seconds that’s how I felt. If I would have written the question in a book though, I don’t think I would have put the ring on the wrong hand (which is what I did).

From the boosktore, we headed to Goshen College, to the auditorium where they had their first date…

Can I have three favorites? This is the bench where they realized it was “for real” (or something like that). We love how meaning-filled each of the locations we went were for them.

Emily and Jarrod: Thanks so much for sharing ice cream and your evening with us.  It was a pleasure to meet, talk to, and photograph you!

Leandra and I just returned from a road trip late last week after some unexpected car trouble and the subsequent delay in Pennsylvania (and have been moving this week!).  We’re working hard to catch up, and we have lots of wonderful couples to blog about…and it’s all coming soon!