Engagements mark a significant milestone in a couple’s journey towards marriage. It is a time filled with joy, anticipation, and commitment as two individuals make a heartfelt promise to spend their lives together. Over the last decade Madison and Brandon’s love story has blossomed into a beautiful tapestry of cherished memories and it is my honor to share their love story and long awaited engagement with all of you, today!

Madison and Brandon are high school sweethearts and their love story began in March 2012! That’s when Brandon and Madison “officially” became Facebook friends, but in a round about way. At the time that they became online friends, Brandon was actually courting one of Madison’s Friends: Anna.

Madison and Brandon always say that the first time they met was on a school bus on the way to baseball and softball games in Grosse Pointe. On the day that Madison and Brandon met each other for the first time Anna and Madison happened to be texting, and she texted Madison: “I think the boy I am going on a date with is on the same bus as you!”

Madison recalls Brandon sitting in the front row of the bus, donning his bright baseball sunglasses. Although she was nervous she did eventually introduce herself to him on the bus ride and they chatted, briefly. As they reminisced about the bus ride, Madison declared that to this day they still both remember everything that happened on that bus ride all those years ago. A few weeks after, Anna and Brandon went their first date. Fortunate for Madison, Anna realized that her and Brandon were not the right fit for one another. So she gave Madison his number with the thought that he may be perfect for her! For the next 5 months Madison and Brandon texted one another. At only 15 years old, Madison confessed that she “knew nothing about the whole dating thing and was too nervous to see Brandon in person, so she would make every excuse as to why she couldn’t hangout with him.”

Summer inevitably passed and in the fall they had their school registration. Madison happened to be working a station that was handing out the schedules and Brandon came up to that specific station with his mom. He didn’t notice Madison at the time, but she remembers feeling so happy inside and being all giggly about it with her friends. Of course, she told him later on and he made it clear that he really wanted to hangout with her. Madison was still too nervous to hangout with Brandon alone. That week Anna came over and she found out that they still hadn’t hung out so she wanted Madison to call Brandon to come over. He obliged and came over for a swim. As he was leaving Madison walked him out through their garage and he gave her a hug goodbye. Then he whispered in her ear that he loved her. To Madison, that was truly when the rest became history. They started freshman year of high school soon after and saw each other everyday. A month into the school year Brandon asked Madison to be his girlfriend, which happened at their first high school dance.

Since then, they have always been together. 10 years later Madison was beginning to wonder when Brandon was going to pop the question. Madison thought he might ask after a one week vacation, together, but that vacation passed and the question wasn’t asked. Once they returned from vacation, Madison’s best friend Sam invited her and Brandon to go out on a double date in Downtown Rochester. Little did Madison know that this double date had been planned by Brandon all along.

A few hours before they were supposed to leave for their double date, Brandon called Madison to tell her that he had to drive separately because something with his family came up. He hadn’t ever said that to her before, so she became sort of suspicious and began thinking that something else was going on. He didn’t propose on vacation. “Is he going to propose in Downtown Rochester,” Madison thought quietly to herself. Sam picked Madison up on their way to the double date. On their way she said she was hungry for some donuts and decided to stop at Yates Cider Mill. Stopping for donuts wasn’t out of the ordinary for Sam and Madison so she went along with it.

After picking up donuts Sam suggested that they take a walk down “the path,” because a trip to Yates Cider Mill (if you’ve never been) was not complete without a walk down the path. As one walks down the path at Yates, there are little stairways that lead to the river. They walked a bit further and Sam again suggested that they “stop on the path for a moment.” Madison looked down and there was something she hadn’t noticed on her Yates path walks before… a rose petal path. She followed the rose petals all the way down to the river where she saw Brandon. He had a little area filled with more rose petals, champagne, and a board of some pictures of them over their many years spent together. It was there where Brandon got down on one knee and asked Madison to marry him! She said YES, of course! In Madison’s own words: “The moment was absolutely perfect!”

Madison and Brandon: I am inspired by your love story. The two of you share a true and profound connection that has stood the test of time. Over the course of a decade you have weathered life’s challenges together, celebrating triumphs, and supported each other in every aspect of life. I cannot wait to celebrate with you on your wedding day! Enjoy this glimpse into your engagement session.