When I found out that both my parents would be retiring in October 2019, I immediately knew I wanted to do a photoshoot with them to commemorate the moment. I just had to get them agree to do it. My father is definitely not the kind of a guy who would normally do this, but I got my Mom on board and he decided to be a good sport. Next was convincing them to dress up for it. I wanted the DRAMA! My mom wears shorts in the winter time, so this was a little bit of a challenge. However, she had bought this gorgeous blue gown for my wedding earlier in the year and it was just a matter of mentioning how much it cost and how it had been hanging in the closet for 6 months all unworn and sad. Sold.

I love fantastical photoshoots and this one was especially important to me, given that it was my parents who I love so much. I am so thankful my parents trusted me and went along with my vision, and they are grateful as well. My mom absolutely loves these photographs and has two very large canvases proudly displayed in her home.

My goal with this shoot was to make it as romantic as possible. I thought about how fun and beautiful my own engagement photos were, and how we don’t really see photos like that of people in their sixties. I tried to get my parents to step out of their comfort zones a little and posed them more naturally. We still have a few prom poses in there (and I still like those photos), but I also love them dancing on a rock formation in Garden of the Gods.

My dad really ended up getting into the spirit of the shoot and started goofing around, which made both of them laugh and smile. They look so sweet and in love in these photographs and the views are just stunning!

These are pictures I will treasure for the rest of my life.

Here are some behind the scenes shots that Adam took. What a lovely memory! The evening was just so beautiful and we caught the light just right! I couldn’t be happier with how these turned out! They are so special!