Jae Youn and Darren’s wedding engagement and surprise(!) proposal photography at Bidwell Parkway and Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY
Until couple weeks ago, Jae Youn and Darren were one of the many couples I’ve booked in 2020 who I had only been able to get to know through email. In an effort to limit my exposure to people and stay as healthy as possible for the actual photo shoots that are happening this year, I haven’t been meeting clients for consultations in person. As we all know, Zoom calls and emails are just no match for a real live hangout though. SO, I was very excited to learn that Darren was going to be able to come visit WNY (he lives in San Francisco) to see Jae Youn and have their engagement photography session at Bidwell Parkway and Tifft Nature Preserve here in Buffalo!
What I didn’t realize, was that this couple hadn’t OFFICIALLY got engaged yet! They were deep in planning their wedding, but with COVID-19 and living on opposite coasts, they hadn’t technically sealed the deal!
The session started as any ordinary engagement session would. We began at Bidwell Parkway where the rows of trees were just starting reach their colorful fall prime.
![bride and groom pose for engagement photos among fall foliage in Bidwell Parkway in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Tifft-Wedding-Engagement-Photography-Buffalo-1.jpg)
![bride and groom walk holding hands during engagement photography session among fall foliage in Bidwell Parkway in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Tifft-Wedding-Engagement-Photography-Buffalo-2.jpg)
![bride and groom laugh during engagement photos among fall foliage in Bidwell Parkway in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Tifft-Wedding-Engagement-Photography-Buffalo-3.jpg)
From Bidwell Parkway we made our way to Tifft Nature Preserve for the next round of photos.
![](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom pose for portraits during engagement photography session among fall foliage in Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom laugh during engagement photography session among fall foliage in Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom laugh during engagement photography session among fall foliage in Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
As we walked to the next photography spot at Tifft, Darren flashed a ring box at me when Jae wasn’t looking. It was a really nice warm day (by Buffalo standards) and I had wondered why Darren was carrying around a down coat. Turns out he was carrying the coat so he could hide the ring box inside! I was extremely confused though. We were taking their engagement photos and the wedding was already booked, why would he have a ring now?! I rolled with it thinking maybe they just didn’t have the ring yet when they decided to get married. Perhaps the ring itself was the surprise. Turns out, nope, this was the real proposal!
![man shows woman ring during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![man wipes woman](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![man picks up woman and spins her during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![man and woman laugh during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![man and woman hug during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride checks out ring during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom laugh during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom kiss during wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
How sweet was that proposal?! They were so excited and relieved to finally be officially engaged! Jae had been worried she wouldn’t have a ring for their engagement photography, but for some reason she was just rolling with it too. The rest of their pictures look much more complete with that little extra sparkle, if I do say so.
![bride and groom snuggle in the cat tails after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom embrace in front of pine trees after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom embrace in front of pine trees after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom smile for photographer in front of pine trees after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom embrace in front of cat tails after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom hold hands on top of hill in field after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and grooms arms around each other after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
![bride and groom embrace in front of pine trees after wedding engagement proposal at Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, NY](http://dedario.com/blog/wp-content/themes/prophoto4/images/blank.gif)
That’s all for this one! I can’t wait until next year when these two tie the knot and we can celebrate at The Foundry!
If you or someone you know is looking for proposal or engagement photography in Buffalo, have them contact me here!