North Liberty In Home Engagement Session | Abby + Zack

May 14, 2019

When Abby Met Zack

Zack and Abby met as co-workers at Dairy Queen. After much time spent together and more than a few hints, a bet was made. If Zack won, he’d take Abby on a date. As luck would have it, he did win. They went on that first date to the Riverwalk in Dubuque, and they’ve been together ever since.

The Proposal

When it came time for the proposal, Zack knew he wanted to pop the question on the Riverwalk. A sweet nod to their first date. However on the day he planned to propose, it was COLD. Abby was not excited at the prospect of taking a walk in the cold, and couldn’t imagine why Zack insisted on taking one. Eventually it started to click with her what may be happening. They walked up and down the Riverwalk as Zack tried to “work up the nerve” to pop the question. Abby was laughing at this point because she knew what he was trying to do, and could see how visibly nervous he was. He pulled it off, and asked the big question, and Abby said yes!

Planning Their In Home Engagement Session

When I talked with these two about their love story and planning an engagement session, they shared with me that they are total homebodies. They love to stay at home, cook dinner, and play with their Golden Retriever Otto in the backyard. They also love to go to local breweries.

I was so excited when we settled on an in-home engagement session, documenting them cooking one of their favorite meals. Otto was at their heels in the kitchen, just where he likes to be. They got some cuddles in on the couch while the pasta was simmering.

We incorporated a beer flight tasting, and even blizzards in the backyard. Since these two met at Dairy Queen, we HAD to incorporate blizzards into their session. As soon as Otto saw those red straws, he was smiling at Mom & Dad. How could you not share with that face?!

We ended their session with sunset at Lake MacBride in Solon, Iowa. This was the perfect way to end the night, since they had their first date near water and also the proposal. I had so many wonderful photos from this session, I decided to split it into two blog posts. Stay tuned for the second half of their session to hit the blog soon!

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{3 words to describe Zack, by Abby}

goofy, relaxed, caring

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{3 words to describe Abby, by Zack}

methodical, driven, supportive

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I knew I wanted to spend forever with my love when…

Abby: “Honestly, I think the moment I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him was when we started living together in 2016. Before this, we had never lived together because of school. We were both pretty realistic going into living together, and knew it would either be great or not so much. But it was honestly great. We loved making it our home, adjusting to adult life together, making dinner, getting Otto, getting a house, etc. It was not always easy, but with each new hurdle, we got stronger and continue to.”

Zack: “For Christmas I got a pair of Rascal Flatts tickets down in Peoria. There was a snow storm coming through that day so we left a day early and just got a hotel for the night before. The day of the concert we spent all day together and were walking around downtown Peoria in the snow looking for a place to eat dinner before the concert and we stumbled across this very fancy diner. Spaghetti was $20 kind of fancy, candle lit tables, dimmed lighting, and everyone else in button up shirts. Here we are in t-shirts and sweatshirts both having spaghetti for dinner. I just remember looking over and something in her eyes and the way she looked. She was just genuinely happy and I loved every second of that moment. That was when I knew.”

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What is something you both have in common?

Abby: “Lots of siblings!”

Zack: “We both love to joke around and try to make each other laugh.”

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What is something that’s totally different about the two of you?

Abby: “Type A & Type B. I like schedules, planning, making lists, etc. He is completely the opposite. Go with the flow to the max.”

Zack: “I can spend an entire vacation without a plan deciding what to do at a moments notice. Abby needs to have a plan and a schedule to feel comfortable.”

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What is a fun fact/something people might not guess about your fiancé?

Abby: “He is the BIGGEST cuddler of all time. And I love it.”

Zack: “As busy and get-r-done as Abby is most of the time. When she finally gets a day off where she doesn’t plan anything, she’s more than likely to spend the whole time on the couch.”

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563.265.1093

hello@catherinefurlin.com

Located in Bellevue, Iowa
Serving Eastern Iowa +
Madison, WI + Galena, IL

Modern wedding photography & family documentary sessions in Dubuque Iowa, the Quad Cities, and beyond. Located in Bellevue. Documenting love stories in the everyday moments & the life changing ones. Focused on creating honest images.