How we met
Justin and I have been dating for 3 and a half years and it all started with a swipe right. Isn’t that how everyone meets now? Our first date was a total flop. I don’t know why the date was so bad. It was a Tuesday and we had decided to get dinner after work, maybe it had been a long day for both of us. We decided to give it a second try and go on another date…. obviously I’m glad we did!
Planning the Surprise
This past weekend my boyfriend, now fiance, planned the perfect proposal. I had mentioned I wanted a photographer to capture the moment and luckily Justin was listening when I had suggested that. He had planned for my friend Sarah, from Sarah Kelly Photography, to drive to Dallas for a day and take photos of the proposal. For them to surprise me took a lot of planning. They came up with the idea of making the photo shoot seem like my idea. Sarah told me she was trying to build her portfolio and asked if she could take photos of me and Justin. Without a doubt, I wanted a photo for a Christmas card and I said yes. I had asked Justin if he was available Saturday to take photos…. of course, he was free, he had planned it. He faked being reluctant to take photos and said he could only spare 20 minutes.


All photos are taken by Sarah Kelly Photography
The Proposal
On Saturday I was a little suspicious and hoping Justin would propose on our way to the “Christmas Card” photo shoot. 30 minutes into the photo shoot he hadn’t proposed and I thought I had gotten my hopes up for nothing. I knew he was going to propose soon, but I didn’t know if he had already bought a ring. At one point he was taking care of the dogs and I mentioned to Sarah that I was so bummed he hadn’t proposed yet. Little did I know he was just about to pop the big question.
The sun started setting, Justin turned to me and said, “Rachel, we aren’t just here for a photo shoot.”. I was beyond happy and started crying over his well-prepared speech.




We’ve had some amazing times together. Our trip to Portugal, traveling to NYC for my birthday, getting to meet each other’s families, raising a puppy… Going down memory lane makes me nostalgic and energized to create more memories together. I’m so thankful for Justin, our friends, and family for making this past weekend one to remember.
Best,
Rachel Sheppard

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