Riley swept Kelcy off her feet (almost quite literally) when they met at a bar the day before Valentine’s Day in 2015.

“Some guy was badgering me at the bar and Riley swooped in and rescued me,” she reminisced. “He’s been sweeping me off my feet ever since.”

When asked when they knew they wanted to marry one another, Kelcy gave an answer that could turn anyone into a romantic.

“For me, there was never a ‘moment.’ We met and he just seemed so familiar,” she said. “You know that feeling of relief when you finally find a familiar face in a crowd? He was that feeling.”

The pair, who wed in Wayne, Neb. in 2018, shared their engagement story, along with tips for other couples who are planning their engagement session.

“I felt more myself when (Riley) was around; nothing was forced or faked or rushed… we were just together. That was it. And I knew I wanted that feeling forever.” – Kelcy

Who proposed and how did they do it?
Kelcy:
Every year, starting around Thanksgiving time, my hometown [Pierre] has a huge Christmas tree display. Riley had it all planned out with my family to propose to me while we were looking at all of the trees. My sister was going to take pictures, all of the family would be there… it was going to be so romantic and sweet.

However, about a week before this was all going to go down, we had his niece over for supper. I was joking with her about her new boyfriend and how I hoped he put a ring on it sooner than Riley since he was seemingly never going to ask me. Riley scoffed and asked, “Do you want me to propose right now then?” I sarcastically said, “Oh yeah, go grab the ring!” Next thing I knew, he was down on one knee!

What did you do to get ready for your engagement session?
K:
Spring in South Dakota is always a crapshoot, so we had outfits picked out for both cold and warm temperatures. I more than anything wanted to make sure we looked like ourselves.


Kelcy + Riley’s Top Advice for Engagement Sessions

+ Chat with your photographer beforehand. Jenna of Glasser Images was so helpful before we even did our session. She got a feel for our vibe as a couple, and was more than willing to answer any questions or concerns we had.

+ Forget about trying to be perfect or do that picture you saw on Pinterest. Just relax, have fun, and focus on each other and how in love you are!

+ Have fun. Riley and I turned the whole day into a date, which helped make the session that much more fun and romantic.


What was a special or memorable moment during your shoot?
K: Honestly the whole thing was just genuinely so fun. In my head I had imagined this very 1980s-esque “sit-and-pose-and-turn-and-smile” thing, but honestly Jenna just let us be ourselves, made us laugh, and caught the moments in between.

Did anything random happen that you didn’t plan for?
K: Jenna made us stand on a cliff while she took a picture from the safety of a bridge. The end results were amazing, though, so the 10 minutes of panic were worth it.

Photography by Glasser Images.