This Oklahoma family farm engagement was a fun one, as the soon to be bride just so happens to be my best friend from high school! AJ and I have kept in touch throughout the years and when Austin stepped into the picture I knew he was the right guy for my best girlfriend. AJ was very conservative with dating, even in college, she wisely focused on herself and her goals for the future. This meant, if some handsome guy received the "boyfriend" title, it was pretty serious. AJ called me on the phone to reveal the news of Austin's proposal and their newly engaged status. I was absolutely ecstatic when she asked me to photograph their countryside engagement session out at her families farm. I love photographing my friends and don't have many still getting married! It's always an honor to photograph their engagements or wedding. We both grew up in the backwoods of Western Oklahoma near Thomas, and AJ wanted her families farm incorporated into the session. This location really shows off the natural beauty of Oklahoma and the joys of country living. Mike and Joan Jones (how cool are their names?), AJ's parents, have an old red, wooden barn on the property. We used to hang a white sheet and arrange hay bales to relax on, while watching movies on the side of this barn. The barn was full of square bales to climb on and Lily (AJ's dog) and Kyote (my pup) ran back and forth getting straw stuck in their fur. Lily is an adorable Jack Russell that AJ rescued from the streets in college and I let her sneak into a few of the shots. AJ and Austin laughed between photos as we watched the two furry pups play, causing dust and straw to fly around us. We spent the afternoon exploring the nooks and crannies of the farm, walked amidst Joan's orchard full of spring blooms, and then changed into more casual outfits to feed cattle. Feeding cattle was one of the highlights of my childhood and a norm amongst farm life. I loved getting to go out in the farm truck with my dad and see the cows stampede into the corral, mooing impatiently for their dinner. They surrounded AJ and Austin and made for some very unique Oklahoma engagement photos. I sipped coffee in Weatherford, Oklahoma, before returning to Colorado and began looking through the photos we had taken. The session brought tears to my eyes while editing and left me with so much nostalgia for our childhood and high school days in Western Oklahoma. Congratulations on your engagement AJ and Austin, I cannot wait for your wedding this summer!
