Lauren and Tyler’s engagement session at Bradner Preserve in Risingsun, Ohio started cloudy and rainy, but the sun eventually came out for us! As an engagement photographer, I watch the weather closely, so it was a good idea that I brought my clear umbrellas. Between eating a pizza together in the back of Tyler’s truck and the beautiful backdrop of Bradner Preserve, Lauren and Tyler were the perfect couple!

High School Sweethearts from Long Ago

They have an interesting history that goes back to their teenage days. Lauren and Tyler grew up together, and knew each other while attending the same high school, but didn’t start dating until they both attended an FFA ski trip. They broke up when they left for college but still dated on and off for a while. After their last break up, they didn’t keep in touch for about seven years. However, after they had both broken off other relationships, Lauren kept popping up on Tyler’s social media. So one accidental Tiktok wave and one dinner date later in April 2023, they were officially back together for good. Lauren and Tyler both knew that if they ever came back together, it was meant to be.

Tyler planned on proposing at some point and asked Lauren to marry him at his New Year’s Eve party. Lauren had been giving Tyler slack for a while on when he would propose but wasn’t sure when. After the ball dropped, Lauren turned around and saw him on one knee. Her first reaction was to yell out using an expletive LOL. However, when he asked her to marry him, Lauren let out a squeal and officially became Tyler’s fiancee.

When thinking about wedding day portraits, Lauren loves the traditional poses but also loves the candid shots as well. Tyler does not love having his picture taken. When Lauren saw pictures from when Tyler’s sister’s wedding (see Andrew and Miranda’s Fall Wedding here), she loved the portraits of Tyler laughing. THAT is the overall vibe that Lauren wants to see on her wedding day – the love and joy that comes with spending a day with all their favorite people.

Rainy Portraits and Cheese Pizza

After I had taken just thirty-two images at the beginning of Lauren and Tyler’s engagement session in Risingsun, Ohio, it started raining. It was steady at first and then it DOWN RIGHT POURED! ☔️ It continued to rain for about twenty minutes. However, Lauren and Tyler were the PERFECT couple for this to happen to! 👌🏼 They truly were SO RELAXED and didn’t mind at all that their clothes were getting DRENCHED. I knew that a break in the storm was coming before we started shooting. (It’s super important as an engagement photographer in Ohio to watch the weather!) I was praying that we’d be able to catch that, and we eventually did…but not until about thirty minutes into the session.

For that first set of images, Lauren brought a big Little Ceaser’s Pizza for them to share and reminisce on their high school days. A pizza and a pick-up truck – I loved it! 🍕 After the rain finally “held off” for a bit, we got some pretty cool pictures with the fire truck. Tyler is on the volunteer fire department for Risingsun and wanted to showcase that in their engagement session. He also wanted some portraits with the Case DC-4 tractor that he rebuilt in high school. 🚜

After a little fun in the rain with the clear umbrellas, Lauren and Tyler changed into matching blue outfits and we shot some images at Bradner Preserve. Overall, their engagement photos were amazing! I always have a large supply of clear umbrellas for sessions or weddings, so I was well prepared. Even if there is a small chance of rain, I will bring clear umbrellas just in case! Do not let rain scare you – embrace it for your portraits!

If you’re ready for a fun rainy engagement session with some umbrella props, send me a message to check my calendar! ☔️