Arboretum Engagement Photos - Polka Dot Wedding

Belinda & Dean

How stunning is the backdrop for today’s shoot? Belinda and Dean chose the National Arboretum and joined their photographer Dan at All Grown Up Weddings for an afternoon of reflection and of course, beautiful photographs. The couple tell, “We met both working part time jobs at a clothing shop while studying at university.” They married on the 16th May 2015 on “a beautifully rainy day”.

The National Arboretum set the most beautiful backdrop for the shoot. “We both love nature and the outdoors and wanted relaxed and un-contrived pictures for our website invitation. As our photographer Dan, is a native Canberran we knew we would be in good hands when it came to the best settings! The National Arboretum is so picturesque.”

Dean proposed halfway across the world on an amazing trip, the newlyweds remember. “Dean proposed while we were vacationing in Mongolia. From Beijing we hopped onto the overnight trans-Mongolian train to the capital Ulaanbator, and hired an old Russian van where we travelled cross country on the bumpy roads (or lack of) less travelled to Northern Mongolia. We camped, we drank, we trekked, we told stories, our van broke down. On one of the last few days of our trip after we did a 1 day hike up a mountain, Dean found an ideal branch. With this winning branch he used his swiss army knife to carve a wooden ‘diamond’ ring which he would use to propose and later become the cause of Belinda’s sweaty palms through entering customs. Against the idyllic shores of Lake Khovsgol, Dean picked some lilac wildflowers, got down on one knee and proposed! Often a prankster, Belinda asked if he was for real and left him hanging for a while but luckily said yes! We celebrated our engagement with Genghis Khan vodka drank out of our flasks, basking in the beauty and silence of the lake.”