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Jen & Joel

Yesterday I got to share the gorgeous wedding of our competition prize winners Jen & Joel and their romantic Brisbane wedding and I thought it would be nice to end the week with their engagement shoot! The couple joined photographer Timeless Tales Photography in country South East Queensland to document their engagement joy.

In case you missed how they met yesterday, here’s a refresher from Joel. “I was a boarding supervisor at a Brisbane high school, and one of my colleagues was studying architecture at uni with Jenny. She had come to do a study session whilst I was supervising one day, and I was getting very frustrated by some of the kids I was supervising who were a little hyperactive and trying to see how far my patience would stretch.

I had to put my serious teacher voice on, which doesn’t come out very often, and of course she heard me… To my surprise, she knocked quietly on my door and carried in a pot of Jasmine tea, along with her nervous but captivating smile and sparkling blue eyes which I noticed almost immediately. That kindness was exactly what I needed, and from that moment and every moment since she made me so incredibly happy. I think we both knew from the beginning that we had finally met our other half!”

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On how he proposed, Joel tells, “We wanted Jenny’s thirtieth birthday to be memorable, so celebrated by wining and dining our way through New Zealand for three weeks. On New Year’s Day, we decided to try our hand at fly fishing in the remote back country rivers and streams near Turangi, and although it was breathtakingly beautiful, we certainly were not prepared for the formidable challenge of trekking through 20km of waste-high water in heavy rubber waders!

Needless to say that although we were lucky enough to catch the elusive rainbow trout, we were almost too tired to cook it and eat it for dinner! But when we did it was so worthwhile, and accompanied by one of our favourite New Zealand wines (aptly named ‘Trout Valley’ Riesling) in our gorgeous luxury lodge, I surprised Jenny on bended knee over dinner and asked her to be my wife. It was the most wonderful start to the year and a precious memory that we’ll both cherish forever.”

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On what she loves about Joel, Jenny tells, “I have always admired Joel’s quiet determination and his public confidence. He has such a thoughtful and considerate nature, and he is always so affectionate – I love the way he tells me he loves me every morning, even though most of the time he is still half asleep! I love that I can tell him anything and he will listen and embrace my thoughts and ideas, but also challenge me and open my mind to different perspectives.

He motivates me to be better and try harder, and I will never tire of our endless nights discussing philosophy and life. Most of all, I love Joel’s sense of humour. He makes me laugh so hard and we have endless fun together. Joel is all the things I am not, and he executes all the things I constantly fail at with ease, strength and grace. He does all the things I have always wanted to be better at and he does them so well! I love him for stepping into the empty spaces my weaknesses create. We make such a great team and we couldn’t be more perfect for each other if we tried.”

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“When we planned our engagement session, we wanted it to feel like an extension of ourselves. We both love the outdoors and finding hidden places to spend our weekends. Having lived in the city all our lives, the traffic, crowds, noise, and pace of life can take a toll, and there’s just something about the country that we both connect to.

I think Jenny is a country girl at heart – she is at home amongst the veggie garden, hands dirty and talking to the chickens! Because we so often relish our getaways, we decided to run away for the day and have our engagement photos reflect a typical weekend escape. With Sarah’s vision and direction, we achieved some beautiful shots, and had an incredible and unforgettable day capturing the beauty and magic of the South East Queensland scenery.”

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On what he loves about Jen, Joel tells “Jenny is easily the most loyal person I have ever met. She is always there to stand by my side through the difficult times we have had to endure, meaning no problem is ever faced alone. I love the way that she is always the peacemaker when we argue, and that she is respectful and understanding of the fact that we deal with situations differently.

I love her for always wanting to do fun things together, and for being understanding when I want to play golf! I love her for her compassion, sympathy and understanding, and for her warm, kind and generous heart. I love her for always making an effort to take an interest in my day even when she is super tired and cranky! I especially love her smart and witty sense of humour, and for the way she never takes herself too seriously.

There is no one else I could ever imagine taking on this incredible journey, and count myself truly blessed to be able to have her for the rest of my life!”

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