Once upon a time, there were two farmers’ kids who grew up together and fell in love while dancing the night away at a rodeo. I don’t know which is cuter – their love story or their amazing engagement session by Amanda K. Photoart. Read their proposal story below and then indulge in every last photo of the gallery – this darling country session is not to be missed!
From the Groom… Where do I start? Well, I suppose the beginning. Callie and I met years ago – our parents grew up together. Going through high school, FFA (Future Farmers of America) was a big part of my life. I made many friends from FFA and met many people who I will know for life, but the one most special is Callie. We didn’t date in those days, but that was when our friendship started.
As I graduated from college in 2014 at 22 years old and single, I had no plans but to go home to the farm. It wasn’t long before my sister started poking at the idea of me dating the farm girl down the road in Ferndale. I had been in the dorm in college with one of Callie’s two older brothers and knew that she was single. I had gotten wind of a barn dance she was planning, so without second guessing myself, I asked my sister (a long time friend of Callie’s) for her number, called her up, and told her about a band that could play at the dance. Not long after that phone call, I invited her brother to our county fair and rodeo and casually told him to bring friends and his sister. They came, and it was a blast! We had a campfire, Callie and I danced and fell over in the tall, brown summer grass, and it was fun.
The following night was the rodeo dance at the fair. Callie and I danced (without falling over) for the first time since a high school dance, five years before. On the edge of that dance floor, her brother said, “Christian, you should date Callie.” I took him very seriously, thought about it, for a while and pursued the friendship slowly. We liked each other – that was clear – but for the first time, I knew this girl was the one I wanted to marry one day. I tried really hard to take this relationship the old fashioned way.
Meanwhile, Callie was in college – six excruciating hours away. I was home on the farm, and a month or so went by. We talked on the phone a time or two, we each visited one another’s family, and we planned on meeting at an organic dairy conference on October 14, 2014. What she didn’t know was that the Friday before the conference, I wrote her a letter, sent it in the mail, and waited for her to call. The letter contained a simple poem followed by a question. I couldn’t help telling my own parents about it, and when Tuesday rolled around, we met at the conference, but Callie still hadn’t said anything about the letter.
From the Bride… The conference was great! We learned about the growing, organic dairy industry and sat together the entire three days. After the conference, Christian went back to home, and I headed back to college. After a wonderful couple days together, I was still left wondering if he even liked me. The next day, I got a phone call from my mom. She told me she just talked to Christian’s noni at the post office (small town) and wondered if I had checked my mail. Naturally, I hang up the phone as quickly as possible and made a beeline for the mailbox. Sure enough, there was a letter from Christian with a sweet poem. At the end of the letter, there was a check-yes-or-no box asking me to be his girlfriend. Of course I checked “yes”! That was October 16, 2014. I had two more years of college left, and Christian was back at home for good. We saw each other once or twice every month, and each of those times were so precious. After two years, one month, and twelve days of dating, in the middle of a field with green grass all around, Christian asked me to marry him. With God’s help, we will be married in Ferndale on my family’s ranch and plan to live in Crescent City on his family’s farm near the pastured egg ranch and work with his family.
Photography: Amanda K Photography | Dress: Free People