Fort Pickens Engagement Photos

I (Jake) met up with Bryan & Anne for their engagement session at Fort Pickens in Pensacola Beach and WHOA was I blown away. This location was ridiculously beautiful and so much fun to explore. Plus, I got to hang out with Bryan & Anne the whole time. In addition to Bryan & Anne being such a good lookin’ couple, they are so kind and fun!

I brought along my Pentax 67n, a bunch of Fuji 400H film, and my digital set up of course, and had such a fun time photographing this beautiful place and these beautiful people. Enjoy!

When & how did you meet?

The first time we met was at my best friend (also my best man) Ryan’s art show in 2018. I was there taking photos for him and in walks in this gorgeous blonde. We got to talking and hit it off - she was so well-spoken and bright and funny. I was dating someone at the time so I didn’t think anything of it - flash forward a few months and I am newly single and Ryan’s and his wife were throwing a pool party at their apartment. When he asked me, my only question? “Is Anne going to be there?” Once I found out she was I was there. We talked some more again and I was totally enamored. I slide in her DM’s a few weeks later (now 2 years ago last 4th of July) and we made plans to go on a date we’ve been together ever since.

When & how did you get engaged?

We got engaged September 21, 2019. We had talked about getting married a few months into our relationship. I think we both knew pretty quickly that we wanted to spend the rest of our life together. I had shown him pictures of rings the summer of last year, and I knew he was saving up for one. His mom sent him his savings bonds and he had been doing videos for a bookstore on the weekends because he wanted the ring to be perfect. Our friends who introduced us (Ryan and Rayn) had moved to Seattle earlier last year, and we wanted to go visit them. Bryan’s grandparents live in Spokane and I had never met them before, so we decided to go to Spokane and then hop over to Seattle and spend a weekend in the gold bar mountains. We had picked out this beautiful cabin on the water, no service, nearest grocery store was 20miles away. I had a feeling he might propose at some point during this trip, but then I always had doubts since I didn’t think he had asked my parents yet (he did). It was either this trip or he would do it around Christmas while we are with our families. So we get up that morning and get dressed for hiking. The weather was beautiful and we get to the top of this gorgeous mountain and I had a brief thought, “if he’s going to do it it’s going to be here” but he didn’t. So I figured it wasn’t going to happen. We went back and ate lunch and watched a movie when Ryan asked if we wanted to go walk around a little bit more and explore before dinner. This spontaneous walk was a complete set up. We “found” a beautiful waterfall by these rocks and the scenery was just so picturesque. So when they went to take a photo of us, Bryan said to me “Try not to cry” and the next thing I knew He was down on one knee and I started crying lol. It was beautiful and caught me by complete surprise. It was perfect. We got to spend the next few days with our friends who brought us together, minimal WiFi distractions, and our whole life ahead of us. Our families were so happy, and everyone knew but me!

Anne, according to Bryan:

Anne is the smartest woman I have ever met. She is eloquent without being wordy, adamant without being stubborn and has such a zeal for life, it is intoxicating to be around. She is incredibly frugal, if there is a deal to be had (like on Facebook Marketplace) she will find it. Her love and support are unwavering and I can’t wait to be her husband.

Bryan, according to Anne:

He’s an amazing dresser, most men are bad at that sort of thing. I get stuck in my ways and he knows when to push me and when to leave me alone. It’s not easy for him to remember to reach out to friends and family, but when he does he talks for hours. He can tell when I’m stressed out, and effortlessly takes things off my plate. He’s highly competitive. He really listens when someone is talking. His clothes are always neat and ironed. He’s independent but loves to be taken care of. He cuts the grass every weekend no matter how hot it might be. He respects everyone and treat’s them equally no matter their race, gender, age, or status. He is amazingly handy and is very good with his tools, but will never admit it. He’s a great dancer. He is open to others’ opinions and knows when to ask for help or advice, he’s never stubborn. His beard and eyebrows are a work of art. He cares about what people think about him, but never to the point of conformism. He cries easily during movies.

He is very meticulous about the way things are, and he’s always thinking of ways to make life easier. He has a passion for hiding cords behind walls, and he is damn good at it. If he’s in the house, most likely his pants are off. He loves to walk around naked. He remembers everyone’s name and inside jokes they might have. He’s extremely organized and thorough. He’s humble almost to a fault. His sense of humor draws people to him and allows him to control any room.

His quick, witty humor shows his intelligence, and it’s what attracted me to him. I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t immediately connect with him. He is always willing to snuggle or be close to me, even when I know he wants to be left alone. He is the best person I know and I can’t believe I get to marry him.