Hannah + Ian met when they could still count their age on their fingers and what started as a lifelong friendship also developed into lifelong love when they were teenagers. David and Stephanie Weddings captured their playful nature during a spring-time engagement shoot in their home state of Illinois. We love their matching Xtra-Tuff rain boots, a brand commonly worn in Alaska where Ian does commercial fishing each summer, and their very sweet engagement story. Read below to learn how he proposed!

Before the Ring (from the Bride):
Ian and I first met when we were 8 and 9 years old – our mothers were friends, so we really only met in passing until we were in high school. When we were 15 and 16, we became good friends. One day he asked if I’d like to go running together some time (which was cute, because neither one of us were runners). This was the beginning of our very sweet dating relationship. We spent the next four years growing in our friendship, and connecting with each other’s families. Then, just before our four-year anniversary, Ian proposed to me.

The Proposal:
Ian invited me to spend the day with his family at their house, and while we were sitting and talking casually by the wood burning stove, he asked if I would like to go for a drive. He packed a thermos of hot chocolate and off we went. We parked at this local conservation club, which has always been one of our favorite places to go for walks, sledding, canoeing and having picnics. Ian asked if I’d like to go for a walk in the snow with him. It was a chilly, winter day in March, with fresh fallen snow on the ground, and the sky was a clear blue – beautiful day for a walk in the snow!

We got out of the car and walked hand-in-hand through a couple of trails which led us to “our spot” – a  place on the trail where there is a stone table, which is where Ian planned our 1 year anniversary picnic several years earlier. When we arrived to this spot, he stopped and asked me to turn around, so that I was facing two trees. A moment later, a sign began to scroll down from these trees that read, “My Dearest Hannah, Will You Marry Me?” My eyes began to flood with tears. I turned to look at Ian and he was down on one knee. He told me how he loves me so much and that he wants to spend the rest of his life with me. He asked if I would marry him, and I said “yes”! It was the most overwhelmingly joyful moment I have ever experienced. After he proposed, we returned to his house where both of our families were waiting (the parents were in on the surprise) and we had a celebration dinner together. I love Ian with my whole heart and am so blessed to be able to live life with him, married to my best friend.

Photography: David and Stephanie Weddings