Dani and Craig were both brought up in the small town of Estacada, Oregon amid a healthy dose of the outdoors; when they started planning their engagement session they knew they wanted the focus to be on the beauty of their surroundings. So, they headed out to McMeniman’s, a 74-acre resort built on farmland at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge with Anna Jaye Photography. The result is a session filled with interesting, natural backdrops, featuring a couple who looks very much in love (plus, don’t you love how Anna captured them talking and listening to each other – it seems so intimate and real…).

Make sure to keep reading after the photos – Dani offers up lots of juicy details on their romance and engagement.

Dani gives us engagement details…

How Craig and I met:
We both were raised in the small town of Estacada, not even a mile away from each other. We met initially in 2007 through mutual friends. About a year later I went to a UFC party at Craig and his brothers house, we pretty much spent the whole night talking, playing pool, and of course flirting. After a few days of talking we went on our first date. Craig had a great idea of taking his truck up the Clackamas River for a hike. Once the hike was over we hopped in the truck, windows down, holding hands, listening to what became our song by the Piedmont Boys, right then I knew this was unlike anything I had felt before, and knew that it was the start of something big. The night ended with dinner and the rest is history….

How I knew he was the one:
Craig is the kind of guy a girl dreams about. He is funny, gorgeous, sweet, hardworking, supportive, and has the biggest heart. Craig is my best friend and he makes me a better person every day. He lets me be the crazy, unreasonable, silly Dani but has a brilliant way of keeping me grounded all at the same time. We have so much fun together and he will undoubtedly be an amazing husband.

Our Engagement:
We hopped in that same truck 2 years later and went on the same hike we went on for our first date. Craig proposed on top of the waterfall in the perfect moment. It was amazing and very romantic. We finished that incredible moment with the same ride down the river holding hands, windows down, and listening to our song.

Our engagement shoot:
Our engagement shoot was at McMenamins Edgefield in Troutdale, Oregon. It is a beautiful location with lots to see. Craig’s brother was married there just a few months earlier, and it seemed like a perfect place to capture our engagement.

A sneak peak of our wedding:
August, 13th 2011, Craig and I will get married in our own 3 acre back yard. Not only is it easier on our wallet, but completely DIY. Our small town is full of family and having 400 people at our house for our big day seems perfect for us. Although it may seem impossible we want it to be intimate. We want the day to be all about C & D, and why not have our day at the one place our love lives everyday?  Our wedding night will be full of the outdoors with the backdrop of Mt. Hood and dancing under the stars to our live band.

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