A Grand Rapids E-Session Under the Northern Lights: The Engagement of Kelsey and Sam

During the COVID-19 Pandemic and after some encouragement from her mother and friends' success stories, Kelsey decided to try to find love on Bumble. When she didn't have much luck, Kelsey was about to give up when she matched with Sam while visiting her parents. Wanting to meet new people and intrigued by Kelsey's self-description as a "nature nerd", Sam was serious—so serious he extended the match when it was about to expire. They hit it off and the rest is history! On a date night of sushi and walking around Grand Rapids, they ended up at John Ball Zoo for the lantern festival. Before they went in, Sam got down on one knee in front of the pond, which had a beautiful swan light-up display. Of course, Kelsey said yes!
 

We love Kelsey's ring, and it's actually a very meaningful piece of jewelry. "The ring was Sam’s grandmother’s engagement ring passed down. It is an old European cut diamond with two kites on either side in white gold," Kelsey explains. "What we love most about it is that it is simple and elegant." To make the ring their own, they found a beautiful nature-inspired wedding band that complements the original ring perfectly.
 

Since they met because Kelsey was a "nature nerd", they shot their engagement session outdoors. They knew they wanted something that had woods and a stream to provide them with photo opportunities if they waded in the water. With recommendations for local hiking spots and common places on their photographer Jessie Silva's website, they ended up finding the perfect spot! The second part of their engagement session was a last-minute opportunity proposed by Jessie when the northern lights were going to be seen in the Grand Rapids area. We love how these dreamy photos turned out! They show exactly what Kelsey and Sam love about Jessie with natural yet vibrant and colorful photography. 
 

Both Kelsey and Sam had ideas of what they wanted for their wedding before they got engaged. Kelsey shares, "We have had fun sharing
our ideas. Funnily enough, many of our independent ideas were the same, including getting engagement photos in a stream." They're still working out some of the specific details of their big day, but wedding planning has been manageable since they have been able to work as a wonderful team. It's been fun for them, and they are looking forward to their wedding day!
 

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