She is free-spirited and compassionate. He is strong willed with a kind heart. She loves unconditionally flaws and all. And he’s ready to take on whatever comes their way. In ten years of dating, Esther and Kris have learned many things about each other, and the love remains unconditional.
They met at a coffee shop. Kris worked next door to a local coffee shop walked in to order a breve americano. Esther was behind the counter, and said, “you mean steamed half and half?”
Kris quickly replied, “yes,” but quietly wondered why this girl is working as a barista if she’s not sure what a breve is. After a few sips of his coffee and properly caffeinated, Kris dismissed his initial first impression and admired how beautiful the girl behind the counter looked.
It would take several gallons of coffee in a span of months for him to finally work up the courage to ask the cute barista out on a date. Thankfully, the coffee was always good.
As far as first impressions went, Esther thought that Kris was “the cutest boy ever!” (Aptly described because this was ten years ago and they were still in their teens and early twenties. 😉 )
Fast forward ten years since their first date, Kris and Esther are engaged to be married!
This engagement session is super special to me. I’m honored to capture this blissful milestone in my brother’s life! I love seeing how happy Esther makes Kris, and I can’t wait to gain another sister!
The two of them enjoy spending time outdoors hiking, so they were drawn to the tunnel of trees and the mountainous background. Currently, they are training hard for Spartan Races and hope to get their Trifecta this fall, which means they would complete three different races within one calendar year. They chose to have their engagement photos taken along hiking trails in San Diego.
Below are a few favorite photos from their engagement session in San Diego.
How He Proposed:
The proposal was long overdue and was not coming from left field. It was just a matter of time of when it would become official.
It was like any other friday, after a long work week, we were both looking forward to our dinner, which we call “sushi Fridays” (we order take-out from our fave sushi spot) plus our movie night. I was enjoying my spicy tuna hand roll, but to my surprise there was something inside my roll. It wasn’t the ring, it was a piece of paper folded into a tiny square.
I thought it was a bandaid and could not believe there was something so gross in my sushi! I demanded to call the restaurant. Nervous, and finding Esther’s reaction pretty hilarious, Kris rose from his seat and offered to take a photo of this so-called “band-aid” to show the restaurant.
I opened up the piece of paper and realized that it was a drawing of a ring, similar to the ring on our vision board!
It all happened so fast! Next thing I see is Kris getting down on one knee, with a ring box open. He asked, “will you marry me?”
I remember Esther crying tears of joy, repeatedly saying, “what is happening? Meanwhile, our dog, Sophie was on standby waiting for falling sushi,” Kris said.
My favorite part was “seeing Kris on one knee asking me to marry him, and how he caught the whole proposal on video!” Esther said.
“He fights for us and I love that about him,” Esther says. “He pushes me to be better when I doubt myself. I’m excited to become his wife!”
Esther is kind and trusting, and I love that she accepts and respects me for who I am. She loves unconditionally, including flaws. “It’s what has kept us in harmony all of these years.”
Both of them share a fantastic sense of humor, a love for their dog, Sophie, and food! (With Kris being the cook between the two).
Congratulations, Kris and Esther! I am so happy for you and excited for this next chapter in your life. I hope that you love the photos and that you enjoyed our engagement session! Looking forward to enjoying sushi in Japan (I’ll make sure there are no “band-aids” hidden in the rolls.) Haha
xoxo,
