So very excited to be sharing Dan & Kristen's engagement session on the blog today!  Dan and Kristen call Cleveland home, so they opted to have their engagement session photographed by the shores of Lake Erie.  I was thrilled, of course, because I do love all things beach related.  The evening started off overcast but not long into the session the sun peeked out here and there, and it ended up being a beautiful October evening. This beach isn't far from Whiskey Island, where Dan and Kristen first met.  Whiskey Island is the kind of place you want to find yourself on a summer evening in Cleveland.  There's corn hole and volleyball and boats docked at the marina and it's summertime at its finest.  You'll go with a friend who's meeting another friend.  The other friend will bring some of her friends.  And that's when you'll meet him.  Sparks will fly and you'll find yourself dancing the night away in another part of town with this friend of a friend of a friend.  And life will never be the same again. I think the beauty of love is that we open ourselves up to needing someone else.  It's not about weakness or demanding that another person complete our world, but it is about being strong and confident enough to be vulnerable and share our hearts and lives with someone.  

Great love is always a choice.  Only those who are truly strong have the courage to allow someone else into their heart.  I love seeing strong people have the wisdom to choose to live life with open hearts.  That's Dan & Kristen.  Love is always going to be a little messy, but that means you're doing something right.   This past June, Dan proposed to Kristen, and they're committing to a lifetime of being strong for each other, keeping their hearts open, and moving forward together.  I think that's beautiful and the best kind of courageous. Love the shot below - Kristen, you are stunning! 

Sometimes the sunlight hits the camera just right and magic happens!

Congratulations again, Dan and Kristen!  It was too much fun having you both in front of my lens!  Can't wait for August!