With the Arizona heat finally starting to calm down, it’s a great time to get outside. Wide-open skies and desert scenery are gorgeous, after all! When Shellane and Michael reached out to us, we couldn’t wait for their photoshoot. After some brainstorming, we settled on a tried and true location: Papago Park, on the border of Tempe and Phoenix!
We’re always a little awestruck by Papago when we’re there. After all, you wouldn’t think such a sprawling desert area would be in the middle of a big city. That said… we were even more awestruck by Shellane and Michael! Laughter was the theme of the day, and these two were nothing but smiles the entire time. They were easygoing and cheerful, and we couldn’t help it: their positivity rubbed off on us! They kept us laughing the entire time, and we left with big smiles of our own.
Shellane looked fantastic, her white floral dress standing out against the sand and adding some cute pops of color to the landscape. Michael’s pink shirt stood out, too, making them a matching pair among the desert plants. Happiness wasn’t enough for them: they looked simply stunning, too! Shellane and Michael were ready for every photo, striking poses about as fast as The Flash. The camera can be intimidating for some people, but between their electric love and outgoing personalities, these two felt like photoshoot experts.
Relationships might be exciting in the beginning, but only time can make you feel completely at ease with your partner. You have to get to know them, after all, and that’s the fun of dating. It’s no wonder Shellane and Michael seemed so perfectly comfortable with each other, even sitting on a blanket in the desert; they’ve been together 6 years! It’s easy to lose track of time when you’ve been with someone a while, but these two consider themselves lucky. Not just that they’ve found each other, but that they keep making it work. Six years of love is nothing to sneeze at, but Shellane and Michael won’t ever stop being thankful for each other, and that, plus their positivity, makes us sure there are many more in their future.
You can’t have a relationship’s future without having a past, though! What better way to think about a soon-to-be-newlywed couple’s past than looking back at their engagement? A while back, Shellane thought she was going to go on a normal vacation with Michael to Beverly Hills. Everything seemed normal when they got there, they were having a great time, and then came dinner. They’d planned for it, so a nice restaurant wasn’t a surprise.
What was a surprise, though, was dessert. Shellane didn’t know it, but Michael had snuck their waiter a ring and bouquet. When it was time for a sweet treat, Shellane picked up her spoon, looked down at their plate, and saw something written there: “Shellane, will you marry me?”
Before she could look up, Michael was down on one knee, their waiter ready with the ring and flowers. Michael smiled hopefully, and well… oh, you know the rest!
With such a strong foundation, such a romantic proposal, and such fun energy, it’s obvious that Shellane and Michael are meant to be. We’re glad they’re allowing us to be part of it! It’s never been so hard to wait for a wedding ceremony, and Shellane and Michael’s intimate home-bound wedding is promising to be nothing short of stunning. We’re so excited!
Congrats, Shellane and Michael! We’ll see you guys soon!
Love,
Jo + Alli
