My BROTHER is getting married!! What!? I’m so excited I can hardly wait! Andrew & his fiancee Jess have been dating for years now and met in Fort Collins when they both worked at a popular brewery in town. Our family had been trying not to pressure the subject of marriage with them until I’d say maybe a little over a year ago. They were young, still had been living separately, didn’t have their “real jobs” yet. . . so we just kinda left it alone. BUT after about a year of them living in an apartment together downtown, both having great jobs, BOTH getting promoted on the same day (totally coincidentally!), the question started popping up more and more! They both had  skirted around the issue and lead us to believe it wasn’t happening anytime soon. So after a period of time, we all forgot about it again. UNTIL I was in the middle of a shoot and I checked my phone that had been buzzing in my bag and had 2 missed calls from Andrew (which is weird) and a few texts from my mom, like “Call me when you can.” and “Have you talked to Andrew?” and “CALL ANDREW!”

I called him back right away and said, “What’s happening? What’s wrong!” He says all non-chalantly, “Nothing, I’m just getting married.” WHAT!!?? I screamed and then immediately started crying! ha ha! Of course a girls response!

He and Jess had been in Durango for a long weekend and he had planned the whole thing out! Andrew had asked Jess’s dad, Bill for permission and a little help with the plans. The 3 of them were golfing one day while they were visiting and he had planned to pop the question on the 18th green:) Jess’s dad was setting the scene all day! When they first started he kept saying what a gorgeous day it was and talking Jess’s golf game up like it was going to be the best round of her life;) She kinda rolled her eyes and thought, yeah right! There was one point Andrew tossed her ball to her when he thought she was looking (although she wasn’t!) and it popped her right on the forehead! Jess was less than amused and Bill comes up to her and gives her a pep talk. . . “You know Jess, sometimes we just have to forgive our boyfriends for stupid mistakes and move on.” Andrew was ready to abort mission after seeing the glaring look on her face! Jess being the mild mannered one she is was like, “Yeah Dad, I’m good. It’s not like I’m going to break up with him over it.” Ok, mission back on!

On the 17th hole, Jess had a bad shot and just picked up her ball without putting it into the hole. Bill once again to the rescue. . . “Jess, you know even if you have a bad shot on this next and last hole, you should finish strong! Really finish strong!” He knew that Andrew had planned to put the ring box in the hole on the 18th and didn’t want to risk Jess not even putting her ball in!

So here they are on the 18th tee box and Bill says, “Jess I can feel this might be your best hole ever!” Again, thinking her dad was being overly optimistic and rather uncharacteristically jolly on the golf course (when in reality both Andrew and Bill are competitive golfers and more often than not quite pissed off on the golf course!) she shrugged it off and tee’d off. When the 3 of them got their balls on the green, Bill distracted Jess for a second just long enough for Andrew to pull the flag and drop the ring box in the hole. The gentleman let Jess put out first and when she reached into the hole to grab her ball. . . she grabbed her ball and walked away! She didn’t even notice the ring box! Andrew in quick thinking mode pointed to the whole and said “What is that in there?” Jess turned around and was curious herself. She leaned in a picked up the box. She was honestly confused and the thought that a ring box in the hole might have been HER ring didn’t even cross her mind. She thought it was a pair of earrings or something! Andrew took the box from her hand and got down on one knee and the moment hit her. He said something, she cried, he cried, Bill cried, Jess’s step-mom who was stalking from the bushes cried! Jess said YES and they all cried again!

It was a perfectly unperfect moment that they will never forget! After they gained their composure Andrew suck a 30-foot put to seal the deal! They had champagne waiting for them in the clubhouse and started the celebration!

They are planning their wedding for September 2016 in Durango where Andrew proposed. They will say their vows at Durango Mountain resort outside on the mountain. I’m so excited and so happy for them!!! Of course we had to do engagement photos right away! It’s been really fun helping them with plans and being involved with this awesome time in their lives:) I’m so thrilled to be gaining a sister and my whole family is in love with her! Jess, you are so wonderful and fun and an amazing addition to our family! Andrew you scored big time! Congrats to the two of you and let the countdown begin!! Love you both!!

The shot that says it all (and I can take no credit for!)