Garner and Hunter’s beautiful follow me style engagement photos instantly draw you in with the warmth and love they contain. Who wouldn’t want to follow into this dreamy setting?
Katie Norrid Photography captured the couple with perfect lighting and stellar posing from the sweet embraces to the iconic “follow me” style photos showing off a custom made ring.
Combined with precious details in the stories Garner shares from their lives together, today’s engagement session and story is sure to pull at your heartstrings.
How They Met
“Hunter and I met what feels like forever ago, 8 years ago to be exact. But little did we know, our paths crossed many, many times before that. We grew up living down the street from one another, played with the same neighborhood crew {I’m sure at one point we played flashlight tag together}, went to the same church, and went to the same high school before we FINALLY met in college. We did not know any of this until later down the road.
However, one day Hunter finally came clean and told me that he actually knew who I was in high school even though I did not know him. He said, “You were the hot freshman cheerleader.” He gets so embarrassed when I tell this story. :)
We officially did not meet until college. I was a freshman and he was a senior. It was homecoming week and my sorority, Pi Beta Phi, and his fraternity, Pi Kappa Phi, were paired up together. One of our homecoming tasks was to compete in a step show competition. During our routine we had a guy/girl part and Hunter and I were partners. He pretended he didn’t know who I was. That late night step show practice is where it all began. It started out as a close friendship. My friends and his friends were inseparable.
We went on a couple dates towards the beginning of our friendship, but it just wasn’t the right timing. We remained friends, but just not as close. If you don’t know the story of our first date, ask. Because, I should have known right then and there that he was the one. :) Finally, the summer of 2008 we decided to try again. I realized that guys as good as him just don’t come around too often, if at all. Once we started dating again, I think both of us kind of knew that this was it.
These past 7 1/2 years have been the best and hardest years of our lives. It hasn’t been all sunshines and rainbows. There have been times when we made mistakes, taken time a part, been selfish, and taken one another for granted, but at the end of the day we know God created us for each other and that there is no one on this earth we would rather be with. I know for a fact there is no one on this earth that could put up with my quirkiness, my randomness, and my OCD ways.
So after 7 1/2 years, a whole lot of laughs, tears, uncertainty, adventure, a dog, and 3 cities later. We are getting married!!!
Our story is proof that God’s timing is perfect. If we had met those years ago as children living down the street from one another, I can’t say that we would be getting married.”
The Proposal
Last October, we found out we were moving to NYC in November. It was very sudden, but exciting. So, I thought this was the perfect time for him to propose. We would be living in my dream city and it would be my favorite time of year. After December and January rolled around, I was pretty bummed it hadn’t happened. I later found out he was planning to, but with the sudden move, he had not had time to ring shop and make the necessary arrangements.
Next thing we knew, summer was upon us. We had been talking and knew that we really wanted to get married this year. We just didn’t want to wait any longer. So I kind of knew a proposal was coming, but had no idea when. Many disappointing weekends of non-proposals had come and gone, and I just thought it was never going to happen.
Proposal weekend was here. Hunter had a whole thing planned at Central Park, but of course my weak immune system just wasn’t going to make this easy on him. I was really sick all weekend. He kept asking me, “Hey, do you feel up for going on a walk with Isabelle?” And I just kept saying, “No!” Sunday, the end of the weekend rolls around and we are watching TV on the couch, and I turn to him and say, “Your heart is beating super fast. I hope you are not getting sick.” He later tells me it was because he was so nervous about proposing!
Later that night, I finally felt up for getting out of the house to go pick up take-out. I had just put on my shoes and was going to open the apartment door to head out and then all I can remember is Hunter randomly giving me a hug and saying, “You know how much I love you, right?” I just kind of shrugged it off and go to walk out the door, and he gets down on one knee and starts his whole spiel. Honestly, at this point I thought he was just joking, but then he pulled out the ring. I may or may not have had a mild stroke.
Then all of a sudden I had a ring on my hand. I kept saying, “Is this a joke? Say Wallah! (This means I promise. It is a saying my friends and I always use.) After he assured me it was not a joke, we took a second to take it all in. We both were crying and probably in shock a little. I have no earthly clue what he said when he was down on one knee. For all I know he was speaking Chinese. I can’t recall one word. After a couple of minutes soaking it up, he took me down to Riverside Park and we popped some champagne and took some pictures. He apologized for the way the proposal went down, but he said he couldn’t wait any longer. It was killing him all weekend. So he just went rouge, and winged it!
It was honestly perfect. Yes, I use to dream of some extravagant proposal, but I couldn’t picture our proposal going any differently than the way it did. If his Central Park plan had panned out, I feel like I would have known something was up. The way it happened completely surprised me and that is really all I wanted. After this many years, it is very hard to be surprised, but he did an amazing job.
After the proposal, he tells me the reason it hadn’t happened months before. Firstly, he designed my ring from scratch, which takes time. The only input I had about my ring is that I wanted an oval. He did everything else! Secondly, he was using our friend’s dad who lives Birmingham. So he was designing my ring through emails, phone calls, Skype sessions, etc. This was very challenging for both Hunter and the jewelers. Finally, the ring was ready to be shipped and was delivered the day before the proposal. In order to pick up the ring from FedEx, Hunter had to make up a story. He said he had to run some errands for his dad’s birthday and was going to stop and get lunch. I was sick, so I really didn’t care. Well 3 hours later, and he still wasn’t home with lunch. I called Gwyn and said, “Well, Hunter went to get us some lunch but has been gone 3 hours. I think he got lost.” He showed up a couple minutes later and said he had some last minute errands to run which is why it took him so long. Come to find out, FedEx shipped to the wrong location, which happened to be closed that day. When he finally located the ring it was at the holding hub in the Bronx. After a long, anxious cab ride he arrived in the Bronx and picked up the box that held the ring.
He said those few months leading up to the proposal were the most stressful of his life. He was so concerned about how the ring would look in person, and most of all if I would even like it. Because of all this, is why he was so anxious that next day. This was the reason he couldn’t wait two seconds longer to propose. He was so unbelievably happy to finally have the ring; he just had to do it. He completely blew me away on how well he did with my ring. It was more than I ever expected. There is not one thing that I don’t love about it!!!
Follow Me Engagement Photos
The main theme and idea of the engagement session captured by Katie Norrid was “follow me” leading into a future of love.
We love this idea for engagement photos. It really shows off the ring well!
The Wedding
“We have ALWAYS known we wanted a December wedding. I just have never been a summer loving, outdoor wedding type of person. I love all things Christmas, winter, snow, and the cold. So to have our wedding during Christmas time is just the icing on my Christmas lovin’ cake!
Both the ceremony and reception are in a beautiful building in downtown Memphis. We cannot wait to have all of our family and friends under one roof to celebrate our love and commitment. Its perfect, and we could not be more excited for our dream Christmas wedding! Eat, Drink, and Be Married.”
Photos: Katie Norrid Photography
Congrats Garner & Hunter! We loved your “follow me” photo session can’t wait to see your gorgeous winter wedding!
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