Engagement Session at Petit Jean State Park
Before I met Brandon and Shelby for their engagement session at Petit Jean State Park, we met on Zoom. We talked about how they got engaged, what they do for work, and how they are handling this global pandemic.
Turns out, they’re handling it as well as anyone can, and have been ok with it.
They brought up Petit Jean State Park in our conversation, which excited each of us.
Petit Jean State Park is located in Morrilton, Arkansas and is just one hour away from Little Rock, Arkansas.
It’s an easy drive where the exit is just off the Morrilton exit off I-40, a turn to the left, and 20 miles out.
Follow the signs and you’ll find yourself driving up a winding road leading to the park.
Don’t have time to read? Watch the engagement slideshow!
Petit Jean Mountain is where I shot the engagement session for Rex and Sarah, who got married in the middle of this pandemic!
About Brandon and Shelby
There is a quote by a man named Charlie “Tremendous” Jones saying, “You are the same today as you’ll be in five years except for two things: the books you read and the people you meet.”
In the case of Brandon and Shelby, they both had mutual friends who introduced them to each other.
They were 17 and 18 when they met, but as things go with college, they lost touch.
It wasn’t until several years down the road, as Brandon was watching television, he saw Shelby in a local television ad.
This ignited a spark in him, and he decided to get back in touch with Shelby.
The details get slightly foggy here, but one thing is certain.
Brandon slid into Shelby’s DMs, they started talking, and now they have been dating since 2016.
They enjoy a competitive lifestyle filled with sports, games and bowling and have been pushing each other to be the best they can be since then.
The Engagement
2020 is the year everything shut down, derailing everyone’s plans.
There are some plans, however, you cannot back out on.
For Brandon, it was asking Shelby to marry him.
The date was set and he was going to take Shelby out somewhere nice, enjoy a walk, and ask her to marry him.
The mandatory lockdown, however, made this incredibly difficult.
Finally, things slightly opened up and on April 28th, the two of them went for a drive. This was the day Brandon would make this work!
Except, the storms came.
After enjoying a drink from Sonic and driving around, they decided to go home before the storms came.
Still, Brandon was determined to ask Shelby.
With nothing else stopping him, Brandon knelt down onto his knee in the middle of the kitchen, and with the rain pouring outside, he proposed.
Shelby said yes.
The Engagement Session at Petit Jean State Park
The easiest way I have found to meet with my clients on the day of the engagement session is to pick an easily identifiable location.
Because of this, an engagement session with me at Petit Jean State Park typically begins at Mather’s Lodge Restaurant.
This is also the process for a Petit Jean wedding.
Mather’s Lodge also makes for a great spot to meet before any session as my clients can use the restrooms inside to freshen up from the drive and touch up hair and makeup.
After we located each other, we drove up the road 3 minutes from the Lodge and found the Seven Hollows Trail parking lot.
The Seven Hollows Trail is a beautiful trail full of greenery, woods, and beautiful mounds of huge boulders.
To ease Brandon and Shelby into the photo session, we started simply.
Starting with traditional photos and positions with a little movement is helpful in making couples feel great about what they’re doing.
My favorite tricks I used to get real laughter and smiles was to have Brandon and Shelby face each other, get real close, and say their favorite cereal in their “sexiest” voice into the other’s ear!
It’s hysterical, but the expressions are amazing!
I’ve noticed over the years that the more we do silly things like this during the session, the couples tend to flirt more openly with each other in front of me.
Brandon and Shelby’s session was a huge success as the two of them opened up to me and told me more about their wedding plans!
Their date is set for January 2, 2021 at Cold Springs Events.
I am so excited for them, and cannot wait to ring in the New Year.
