The week after the Chiefs won the Super Bowl… the last time I photographed a client. 3 1/2 months is a long time to go without work, but sadly that’s the world we’re living in with the Coronavirus pandemic (hopefully) in the rear view mirror. When I saw Becky & Derek drive up to Liberty Memorial on a wonderfully cool May evening, my heart was doing little backflips, and had I not been standing atop a giant, steep hill, my body might have as well. I think they felt the exact same way, as we were all chatterboxes as we walked up to the memorial, talking about life and what we had been up to the past months; what we missed and were looking forward to this summer. Then the fun began! I had given them notice the day before. “This is a post Covid date night!” I go into my sessions without any preconceived notions about how it will go, or what I expect, and I tell my clients to do the same. This is about the two of THEM being together, having fun, and falling deeper in love. And I believe they did.

Thank you Derek and Becky for letting me be the third wheel on your post Covid date night! I had so much fun and cannot wait to get you two in front of the camera again!

How important is photography to you?

Becky: “For me, photography is one of the most important things for our wedding, as it is one of the few things (besides our marriage) that will be with us to cherish long after the party ends. My hope is that whoever comes across these photos in the future will look at them and think to themself, “Wow, that is what love looks/feels like.” Not only the love between husband and wife, but also mother and son, father and daughter, sister to sister and friend to friend. My hope is that our photographer can capture that feeling for us.”

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Why did you choose the location(s) of your engagement session?  Is there anything special about those locations?

“Kansas City has played such an important role in our story together, so wanted to capture some iconic KC locations in our engagement photos. We chose the Union Station/Liberty Memorial area. There are several special memories we associate with this area, but most importantly is the night of our engagement. Including those iconic locations in our engagement session seemed like a no-brainer!”

How important is photography to you?

Becky: “For me, photography is one of the most important things for our wedding, as it is one of the few things (besides our marriage) that will be with us to cherish long after the party ends. My hope is that whoever comes across these photos in the future will look at them and think to themself, “Wow, that is what love looks/feels like.” Not only the love between husband and wife, but also mother and son, father and daughter, sister to sister and friend to friend. My hope is that our photographer can capture that feeling for us.”

How did you two meet and fall in love?

Derek and I are a true “21st Century” couple – we met on the dating app “Match”! We had both tried other dating sites in the past, but never found the right fit. When we joined Match, I was the first girl to pop up on Derek’s feed and he was the first boy to message me…the rest is history!

Before your engagement session, did you have any worries about how it would go, or hesitations about it?  Was Melissa able to squash those fears?

“Prior to our engagement session we were both excited, but also a little nervous. Being in front of the camera was not something either of us had much experience with – fortunately, Melissa quickly put any of our anxieties at ease! Prior to our session, she shared some really helpful tips to help us feel comfortable, and reassured us that whole experience would be about us spending time together as a couple and capturing those natural moments. Nothing that day felt posed or forced – in fact, it ended up being so much fun! Melissa provided prompts and “games” to help put us at ease, and before we knew it, things felt like we were just having a normal conversation and hanging out – it was like the camera wasn’t even there!”

What was your favorite part of the session, physically and/or emotionally?

“Our engagement session came at a unique time as Kansas City had just started to re-open following months of social quarantine. I think that coming out of that environment helped us appreciate this experience even more for what it was – an opportunity to simply spend time together. We loved being able to re-explore the city where we fell in love. Melissa has this way of providing a space for you and your partner to connect with one another in new ways. Whether it is the one-word games she has you play with one another or a certain embrace, gaze or physical touch – Derek and I left that afternoon with a renewed love and appreciation for one another. That speaks volumes to Melissa’s direction, expertise and experience as a photographer!”

If you are engaged or just want to have a super fun date night documented by Melissa, click here to send a message! Can’t wait to hear from you!