Winona and Dan are getting married next September at Greendance Winery, and we can’t wait to photograph their big day!  Barry and I absolutely adore wineries (we try to make a winery getaway weekend at least once a year), so when Winona and I first met and she told me about what they had in store for their wedding day, it sounded like an absolute dream!

For Winona and Dan’s engagement session, we chose the beautifully rustic location of Armstrong Farms to match the rustic theme of their wedding day.  Here are some of my favorites from their session!  Keep scrolling down to read a little bit more about this gorgeous couple, and to also see some encounters we had with the barnyard residents!

As we were taking the below picture, we piqued the interest of about 30 cattle, and they all moved down the field and stood in a straight line against the fence to watch us!  I didn’t have a wide enough lens to capture all of them, but you’ll get the idea when you see the images below!

This resident was none too happy that we took over his space on the dock, and started running towards me and fighting for his space!  I think he wanted some privacy as he soaked in the last of the sun’s rays that day.

Q: Tell us how you met! 
A: Dan and I had been going to the same gym for years.  We had always noticed each other, but it took about 5 years for us to actually strike up a conversation!  After that initial conversation, we both conveniently made sure that we were at the gym at that same time so we could run into each other.  We did a lot of cardio getting to know each other back then!

Q: What was the date of your first date?  Details, please!
A: March 29th, 2014.  We went to Hal’s Bar and Grill and stayed for 7 hours until they closed!  Dan is definitely a talker and I am more of a listener so the conversation flowed easy.  Surprisingly, I wasn’t nervous at all for the first date.  Dan has a way of making you feel relaxed and at ease.

Q: How did you know he/she was the one?
A: The night after our very first date, I had a very vivid dream that I was married to Dan and we had a kid.  I had never experienced anything like that.  It took me a while to tell him about the dream because I didn’t want to scare him away!  A little over a year later, we were engaged.

Q: What date was the proposal? Tell us about it!
A: May 17th, 2015.  We were in beautiful Aruba.  It was the first day of our vacation and we were walking around, trying to find a place to eat.  We had joked that we were going to pretend to be newlyweds for the perks.  As we were walking alongside the beach, I joked that I was going to take a ring off my right hand and put it on my left.  He got down on one knee and said you don’t have to pretend, will you marry me?

Q: What do you like most about your fiancé?
Winona: How loving, supportive, kind and funny he is.  Just when I gave up on dating, Dan came into my life and I’ve never been more happy or grateful.
Dan: How kind, selfless, generous and caring she is.  She’s very thoughtful, always putting me first.

Wedding Date: 9/24/16
Ceremony and Reception Venue: Greendance, the Winery at Sandhill