Into the Woods: Engagement by Smiling Rain Photography

This engagement session took place on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Danielle and Ryan’s story is one of love at first sight. In the words of the bride “they just knew.” When Danielle and Ryan contacted Sarah, of Smiling Rain Photography, about engagement pictures they said they wanted romantic and a place with meaning. They chose to do the shoot at their favorite hiking trail. The trail weaves through amazing old growth, the sun beaming in, a river running through, and a vineyard at the entrance! The romance part was easy, as Ryan and Danielle are so in love. Read their full story below. Best wishes to this happy couple!

From Danielle:
I was a single mom to a beautiful one-year-old little girl and Ryan was a hardworking bachelor. Around Christmas time the condo I was renting experienced a leak and my daughter’s bedroom floor had pretty severe water damage. A number of contractors had been in and out of our home for weeks – I was annoyed…until Ryan walked in! I couldn’t help but notice he was easy on the eyes and my daughter was drawn to him like a magnet, she had been afraid of every other worker, but with Ryan, she couldn’t stay away from him, trying to help him work… We didn’t say much to each other, but he says he knew that wouldn’t be the last time he saw me.

A week or so later, I saw a mysterious “friend request” on Facebook, “Ryan Simpson.” It didn’t ring a bell, until I saw his photo. Here I was, standing in Superstore with my girlfriend and our two daughters – and I blushed, got butterflies as I skimmed through his profile picture. I turned to her and said “This is the man I’m going to marry!” (and laughed of course… realizing how ridiculous I sounded). A few moments later, a geeky little message popped up from Ryan explaining that he had worked at my house, saw my name on Facebook and added me. We spent that entire day chatting – I gave him my number, and we continued to talk all evening – we made a plan to take his dog and my daughter to the park some time later that week… but by the next morning, he had decided he couldn’t wait that long to hang out. That night he came over and we had our first unofficial little movie date. I swear we both knew right then that this was the real thing. Only 7 months later, we were engaged to be married and in September, 2012 we said I do at Bamberton beach. Neither of us could feel more complete or happier… He truly is my happily ever after!