KEVIN + CASEY | ENGAGEMENT

2026-08-28_0001

Sweet Engagement at Daniel's Ridge / NC Engagement Photographer

     What a wonderful day for an engagement.  I met up with Kevin and Casey after they made a 3 hour trip to tackle some wedding plans.  I was excited to meet this couple....with their proposal story, you will see why...

    Some engagement stories are romantic. Some are elaborate. And every once in a while, there is a proposal story that manages to be romantic, wildly complicated, slightly chaotic, and completely unforgettable.  Casey and Kevin’s proposal was all of those things.

   When Casey first reached out and I got to read the proposal story, I immediately knew this was going to be a story worth telling. From a custom-designed engagement ring to a secret cross-country trip, a carefully orchestrated surprise, and a meaningful tribute to Casey’s mother, every detail was planned with one thing in mind: making Casey feel completely, undeniably chosen.

   So here is their story.  Rather than simply choosing a ring, he reached out to Casey’s favorite designer and worked with her personally to create a ring completely from scratch—something designed specifically for the woman he loved.  And somehow, perhaps the most impressive part of the entire story, the finished ring sat inside their home for weeks.

Casey had absolutely no idea.

That alone deserves an award.

But Kevin wasn't finished.

Every summer, Casey travels to Wisconsin for a week. Kevin decided this would be the perfect opportunity to secretly travel across the country and surprise her. With the help of her best friend, Alyssa, he began planning every detail.

They chose a botanical garden, hired a photographer, and decided the proposal would take place on Sunday.

It was the perfect plan.

Until real life got involved.

The Secret Nearly Gets Away

Saturday was his youngest son's birthday party. Kevin and the boys needed to drive north but fly home afterward, which meant he had to leave his truck in Charlotte before the trip.  So, days earlier, they secretly drove to Charlotte and parked the truck at the airport.

Perfect.

Except for one tiny detail.

Casey could see the AirTag attached to his keys.

Cue emergency plan B.

They left the airport, found a few breweries nearby, and started sending Casey photos as "proof of life." Everything was fine. Nothing suspicious whatsoever.

The next day, after the birthday celebration, Kevin and the boys began the long drive north.

And that's when the carefully constructed story started to unravel.

Kevin had told Casey they were going to the beach overnight. Casey, loving that they took a boy's trip, wanted to see photos of them enjoying the beach.  Meanwhile, he was driving down the interstate contemplating whether he should pull over, pour water on everyone, and stage fake beach photographs.

Instead, he panicked.

And ghosted her.

Her messages quickly went from confused to frustrated to angry, while he was frantically texting Alyssa, convinced the entire surprise was going to fall apart before they ever reached their destination.

He kept driving.

And eventually, they arrived.

A Beautiful Setting—and Nearly 100 Degrees

The gardens were beautiful.

The temperature?  Nearly 100 degrees.

He was standing beneath a pavilion in a three-piece suit, sweating through every layer while his parents fanned him off as they waited.

And waited.

The photographer was late. Random visitors kept wandering into the pavilion. And Kevin found himself doing his best impression of event security, "kindly" clearing everyone out of the area.

After all, he had come too far for the proposal to be ruined now.

Then he saw her.

Casey rounded the corner, looking down at Aiden and completely unaware that her entire world was about to change.

Alyssa gently took Aiden's hand, encouraging Casey to look up.

She did.

And there he was.

Kevin.

Her first words?

"So I'm guessing this is why you haven't been texting me back."

And suddenly, every mile, every secret, every excuse, and every bit of chaos made sense.

“I Love You More”

Kevin took Casey's hand and told her he had come all this way to end an argument.

The two of them have always said:

"I love you."

"I love you more."

But Kevin wanted her to understand what those words really meant to him.

When he says "I love you more," he doesn't mean more than Casey loves him.

He means more than the bad days ahead of them.

More than the stress.

More than the distance.

More than anything life could possibly put in their way.

He told her that every day was better with her in it—and that he didn't want another day without her.

Then he asked her to marry him.

She said yes.  Of course she did.

But what mattered most to Kevin wasn't simply getting the answer he hoped for.

It was making sure Casey knew that she was chosen.

That she was a priority.

That she was worth every plan, every mile, every secret, and every obstacle it took to get to that moment.

It was such a momentous proposal that when Kevin and Casey asked me to be their wedding photographer, I couldn't wait to say yes!  I couldn't wait to meet them.  And meeting them and seeing them together did not disappoint.  They are silly, fun, sweet, and madly in love.  I am so honored they chose me to capture their wedding day!