I'm Michele

Karina and Will are one of the most passionate and joyful couples I know. They love the outdoors, traveling, cooking together, and spending time with their pup, Shain, who is truly one of the sweetest dogs you’ll ever meet.

Karina and William first met at a local pizza shop in Florida where they both used to hang out. One night they were each there alone and started chatting. They talked and laughed for hours — in fact, they spent so much time together that they both consider it their first date!

William planned to ask Karina to marry him in the mountains when they were skiing at Arapahoe Basin with friends. Karina wasn’t happy with her skiing that day, and William ended up with an altitude headache, so he put his plans on hold for the afternoon to wait for a better time.

That evening, Karina just wanted to relax in the hot tub, but it was full of strangers, so instead she decided to take Shain for a walk through the nature preserve along Dillon Reservoir. Little did she know this was the exact spot where William had originally hoped to propose!

William immediately forgot about his headache and, on the way out of the condo, grabbed the ring. William knew Karina loved to share his jacket pocket with him when it was cold, so he cleverly hid the ring under a water bottle in one pocket, making it impossible for any hands to fit inside. Sure enough, as soon as they stepped outside, Karina grabbed Williams hand and shoved it into the other, open pocket. William breathed a huge sigh of relief!

For Karina and Shain the walk felt like any other — casual, slow, and relaxing. And William? Well, his heart was racing and beating so loudly that he could barely hear Karina talk. Is this the right time? Is this the perfect moment?

They continued to walk around the nature preserve until they reached the point where the path meandered closest to the reservoir — the perfect spot.

William stopped and asked Karina if she would like to take a family photo. It wasn’t typical for William to want to take photos together, so Karina happily agreed. William set up his iPhone against his water bottle on a fence post, positioning Karina exactly where he needed her to be.

“I love you and Shain so much…,” he started, as he approached Karina as if he were going to stand in the photo. Then, at the last second, he dropped to one knee instead: “…and that’s why I want to ask you if you would marry me.” Of course, Karina said yes, and they had so much fun telling everyone they knew — even people they didn’t know — laughing and grinning from ear to ear.

When I asked Karina what she appreciates most about William, she told me she respects William’s his patience and admires his passion for adventure and the great outdoors. William loves Karina’s passion, patience, and empathy, as well as her ambition. Her ability to dream inspires him every single day!

These two got married this summer under the chuppah at Spruce Mountain Ranch, and I can’t wait to share their wedding images with you. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy these images from their Rocky Mountain engagement session outside of Vail, Colorado.