Gorgeous Desert Engagement Session in Mesa, Arizona

What do you get when you put two Kansas cuties on Bumble? In this case, an instant connection and plans for a really fun first date. April and Joe met for the first time after swiping right at BJs Brewery where they shared drinks and an appetizer. Well, maybe one is being modest… Joe ended up ordering every appetizer on the menu and they enjoyed them together. And if you thought it couldn’t get any cuter than that, the couple has since gone back, sat at the same table, and reenacted this special moment.

About three years and a whole lot of happiness later, Joe decided to propose on Christmas Eve. He always wears zip-up sweatshirts and the couple’s developed a running joke where he leaves little notes and gifts in the pocket for April to find. On Christmas Eve of 2020, he told her he had one last gift for her in the place she always likes to look and it was the ring!

A week after, they flew out to Arizona for New Years and fell in love with it. They stayed at The Scott, went to a couple of bars, hiked Pinnacle Peak and loved it all so much they started their search for a wedding venue. After looking at a couple, they walked into Scottsdale Plaza and they said it just felt right. So I’m so excited that’s where we’ll be celebrating them in a couple of months!

April and Joe flew back out here for a break from Kansas’s chilly temps and we got to capture their engagement photos in the desert. During their trip, they got a lot of planning done (cake tasting, meeting local vendors, trying the food) and managed to squeeze in a little fun and adventure while they were at it.

These two are so easy to love and their engagement session has me even MORE excited for their wedding day. Let the countdown officially begin for them to become Mr. and Mrs.!