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Amanda & Blake

I love the feeling of Amanda and Blake’s Lersmurdie Falls Perth engagement. It goes from romantic to this most beautiful dramatic, raw feeling with incredible Mother Nature playing a leading role. Amanda and Blake worked with photographer Steven Cheah Photography to capture their engagement.

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Amanda tells their story. “In September 2011, Blake was an Australian study abroad student at my university in Minnesota. One evening after finding out he was cute and on campus, I placed myself strategically in the seat behind him on the bus (called TheLink) in hopes of striking up a conversation. That somehow went awry when he thought I was trying to make a move on his friend and we spent the rest of the semester as casual acquaintances.

In 2012, I spent a semester studying in Fremantle at Blake’s university, where we continued to run into each other and I continued to try and get his attention, but to no immediate avail. Months later, both of us back in our respective countries (and when Blake finally came to his senses), he began to woo me long-distance, and as luck had it, found out I already had a boyfriend.

In August 2013, our timing finally met on the same track and we began a long-distance relationship between Perth and Minnesota.”

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” The funniest part of our relationship is just the fact that we’ve been “together” for two and a half years but have only been physically in the same place for 9 of those 29 months.”

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On what she loves about Blake, Amanda tells, “I love that Blake prioritizes what’s really important. He’s taught me to never trivialize time spent with each other and how big of a role family must play in our lives. I also love that he always seems to get where I am mentally and emotionally. He constantly reminds me that he’s always here to support me and takes on my problems as if they were his own.”

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The proposal was one to remember – with a blizzard, near death moments, a lettuce dinner and a very special poem. Blake dives in. ” A group of us drove through a horrendous blizzard to a friend’s cattle ranch in Minnesota. The weather was terrible, making what was supposed to be a 1hour drive 3 hours long filled with anxiety. I remember the tail-end of the car sliding out on the icy road on the way there thinking “this is how it ends. I didn’t even get to ask her”. Contrary to my fearful creative imagination, we arrived safely.

The host had prepared a steak dinner with all the hospitable trimmings. I enjoyed three leaves of lettuce in anticipation of the event follow; the steak was nice and I still feel bad to this day for not being able to eat any at the time. The dinner concluded and we began to go around the table and share a poem of their choice. This was a previously planned event, and I took advantage of it. As each person shared their words the nerves built within me. Amanda had no  idea.

It came to a close friend of ours who was sat next to Amanda. He began to introduce a poem nonchalantly that was in fact one that I had written for this occasion.

“It was cold on the Link, Fall, two thousand and eleven.

Not here did I think, Of this angel sent from heaven.

So parted we did, To my dismay.

In my thoughts I hid, Reliving that fateful day.

We next met down-under, And yet we could not be.

That was due to blunder, Of my immaturity.

Then our friendship grew, And we’d talk about our day.

The dreams I had for you, Of which I couldn’t say.

Communicating trapped in a screen, Ten thousand miles apart.

The most beautiful girl I’ve seen, Entrusted with my heart.

What more can I say, But get down on one knee. “

At this point i cut him off and continued “Amanda Gay, Will you marry me? She waited about 15 lonnnng seconds and nodded through teary eyes.”

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On what he loves about Amanda, Blake tells, “I love Amanda’s unconditional compassion. She has a tremendous ability to love and I am grateful to be a recipient of that affection. She supports me unconditionally and doesn’t complain – too much – when I steal the covers in the night.”

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