I am so excited to share this super unique extended family session turned surprise engagement proposal session! You’re in for a treat!

Weeks ago, Chelsea (the one in the mauve sweater!) contacted me and mentioned that she and her brother and sister in law wanted to go in on a family session as a gift for their parents!

I thought that sounded like a blast and a fun way to reconnect with Jen and Cody, whose wedding I did in 2018! (She’s in the burnt orange sweater and Cody in the black vest)

Chelsea and I did all the back and forth correspondence leading up to the day and she was totally laid back about me waiting until the week of to chose the location we were going to shoot at. I knew they wanted nice fall foliage and it changes so fast here in Syracuse, NY that I wanted to wait and see where the best color was that week!

Ah! Isn’t Jen and Cody’s little guy SO cute? I can tell that his grandparents are so crazy about him!

Of course I had to get a few pictures of just “mom and dad’ themselves but then a few with them and their grandson!

But that wouldn’t have been fair if we hadn’t gotten some of Jen and Cody with him too!

I just love this one with little man on top of his grandpa’s shoulders! Between the fall color and the way everyone is standing… it might be my favorite full family picture of the whole session!

Even Chelsea and Joe, her boyfriend, wanted in on the action with the little man!

You might have thought that he was stealing the show until Joe showed him up…!

Joe and Chelsea started dating in 2017 and because he’s such a part of Chelsea’s life, he was also part of their family session. Now a few hours before their session, Jen sent me a text and said, “Joe wanted me to tell you that he plans to propose to Chelsea during the shoot today!” I just about started a happy dance right there and then! I was so honored to be the one to capture this sweet memory for them!!!

I had planned with Joe (through Jen) to do a few pictures of just him and Chelsea towards the end of the session and set them up in a rather unique way. This was Joe’s cue that I was ready to capture their moment! I told him I was ready and he said, “really ready?!” I said, “Really ready!” And then he got down on one knee!!!

I just thought this was the sweetest thing that Chelsea herself set up the session without knowing what Joe’s plan was for it!

Aren’t they so adorable together?!

The other thing that was SO cool about Joe proposing in a setting like this is that they were surrounded by Chelsea’s family! So after the moment was over it was so sweet to be able to capture Chelsea’s mom and sister in law checking out her ring and laughing together about it!

I thought that Gillie Lake in Camillus NY was the perfect fall spot not only for an extended family session but also a surprise proposal session!

I think this is the perfect picture to end this blog with! Yes it was a family session but it also contained a surprise proposal and Chelsea’s face says it ALL in this picture! I hope you enjoyed looking through these pictures as much as I enjoyed capturing them! If you’d like to see more of my family or engagement photos, check them out at the links! Or if you’d like to send me an email or a question, you can get ahold of me here!

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