A hockey player and a football champ at the University of Wisconsin- Go Badgers!
When they met…
a) the Wisconsin football team had just beat Michigan University
b) they danced ALL night long
c) it was love at first sight
d) ALL OF THE ABOVE!
These two have so much history in Madison, so we knew a road trip was in order for their engagement photos. On a gorgeous sunny day we packed some snacks (and cameras of course!), hopped in the car and hit the road. Tyler had pulled a few strings (he is kind of a big deal!) and we had the WHOLE stadium to ourselves! As a huge fan of Friday Night Lights I have to say it was surreal to feel the energy of that space, and being able to walk around photographing this beautiful couple was the icing on the cake. Anne’s big blue eyes, Tyler’s charm… I mean seriously, wow! Adorable inside and out. We snapped some photos up on the capitol hill, caught the sunset by the water, and popped a bottle of champagne (although Tyler shook it so much that the whole thing exploded!). Such a great day!
Some words from Anne….
“Tyler and I met at UW-Madison, I was a freshman on the hockey team and he was a sophomore on the football team. The football team had just beat Michigan during a night time college football game and we were out celebrating the victory. I was on the dance floor with my teammates when Tyler approached our group to say hello. We ended up dancing the night away and have been together ever since, 9 years and counting!”
How he proposed?
“Tyler popped the question at Bavette’s, a romantic, low light restaurant down the street from our house. We had a late reservation and his “plan” was to get appetizers and drinks before meeting our friends out for the night. Unbeknown to me, that was not the plan. After we finished some apps and drinks Tyler said he had a craving for something sweet so we ordered the chocolate creme pie, which is one of his family’s favorite recipes. When the pie was served, so was a bottle of champagne and a card from Bavette’s. I opened the card that said, “Will you Marry Me?” He swung out of the booth to come meet me down on one knee. He popped the question and I could barely mumble out a YES! After we settled in, took a few photos, and toasted to our engagement Tyler had another surprise up his sleeve. He passed me a card with a love note written inside and instructions to pack my bags because we were headed to Kohler, Wisconsin for the weekend to visit the spa and indulge in their delicious cuisine. It was definitely a trip to remember and I was the happiest girl in the world!”
When did you know he/she was the one?
“It didn’t take long for me to realize Tyler was the one. We had been through college together and long distance after that as he took a job in Cleveland, OH. Once I graduated from UW-Madison, I made the decision to move to Chicago to be with him. We both knew at that time that we had made it through thick and thin together in college and we both wanted to be together forever.”
What was your favorite part of the engagement photo session?
“For me, I blush easily, and Tyler wouldn’t stop kissing me! In some of the early photos taken in Camp Randall I am blushing red because he wouldn’t stop and Bethany kept on snapping away! Looking back, that was my favorite part. I must have received a million kisses from him that day! Also, at the end of our photo shoot we had brought along a bottle of champagne to pop and spray. As Bethany was getting ready to shoot, Tyler was unwrapping the bottle when the cork decided to pop on its own. We were all surprised. Thankfully Bethany was quick to capture the moment. We were all cracking up after, it was so much fun!”
What locations did you choose and why?
“We have always talked about wanting to go back to Madison to take our engagement photos as that is where we met and where our love story began. Tyler contacted the football staff to arrange for a “sporty” photo shoot in Camp Randall and then we bopped around the Memorial Union, Bascom Hill, Lake Mendota, and then up to the Capital to take pictures around the city. It was so much fun to capture these fun and beautiful photos in the place that is so near and dear to us!”
