Kaki + Jeff || Funky + Cozy Bywater Engagement Session

Kaki and Jeff needed engagement photos…and I didn’t know I needed to be inspired, but I left this session feeling super excited and like my creativity was pushed! So it was a win-win! You’ll see these photos were taken in a really fun and colorful part of the city (the Bywater district), but I love that they will be extra meaningful to Kaki and Jeff because they live in this area. Kaki actually leads 3 HOUR tours through her neighborhood. These two are eloping to Scotland in the fall, and you better believe I’ll be stalking their social media to see the photos! Btw, Jeff is showing his watch off in the first photo because Kaki actually proposed to him with it. Their story is too good not to share…here it is in their own words…

Jeff and Kaki met in New Orleans while Jeff was visiting for a couple weeks, but living in San Francisco. Their first date was a low key lunch date in the middle of a standard work day. After that, for their second date, Jeff convinced Kaki to fly to San Francisco and spend the weekend with him. It wasn’t until that second date that they had their first kiss.

After the second date, they decided they had something special on their hands and wanted to make it work—despite living across the country from one another. For a year, the two dated long distance and whimsically referred to each visit as one of their dates, hence their photos frequently reference which “date” they are on.

After a year, Jeff and his two cats moved from San Francisco to New Orleans and in with Kaki and her two dogs. Since this is their fifteenth encounter, they call it “#datefifteenforever.”

It was during their second date that Kaki mentioned that she did not enjoy surprises and that the idea of anyone proposing to her gave her anxiety...though she loved surprising others and thought she could pull off an epic proposal. Jeff agreed that he would have no problem moving away from gender norms for the purposes of an engagement. Jeff agreed that Kaki could propose to him when she was ready.

Kaki waited until Jeff went home to Michigan to visit his friends and family to pop the question. She had one of Jeff’s friends prompt Jeff to invite a group of his friends to the Detroit Pistons game. Jeff thought Kaki was in New Orleans but unbeknownst to him, she had flown into Michigan and was at the game. Jeff’s friend was able to get him court side tickets and, at half time, Jeff looked up to see the Jumbotron read “Jeff, will you marry me? -Kaki” and then change to a live feed of Kaki walking across the basketball court. By the time Jeff looked over, Kaki was next to him and took a knee and proposed to him with a Rolex.

He obviously said yes. And don’t worry, they will be picking out Kaki’s ring together.