Ann Arbor Engagement session in the fall

Moving along through my 2018 sessions, here is Katie + Mark! Their wedding is actually this Saturday at Cornman Farms! We spent their Ann Arbor engagement session in the fall at The Arb and Law Quad – two of their favorite spots in the city. We laughed a ton and actually thought we lost Mark for a minute LOL But that’s another story. Here’s a little more about them:

Katie Gilbert; cardiothoracic surgery resident

Mark Wagner; buyer at Ford

Met: 06/22/16

How they met:

Mark was out to dinner with some college friends, and talking about the kind of girl he would want to date. She had to like musicals, celebrate Christmas like it’s her job, and love Disney world. One of marks college friends happened to be one of Katie’s medical school friends, and said “That sounds like Katie!” They got each other’s number, and the first text that Katie sent was “I’m doing well! Eating Blank Slate ice cream so life is good” which immediately made ice cream the foundation of their relationship. They organized a first date at Knight’s Steakhouse in Ann Arbor on June 22, 2016. The connection was immediate, with conversation flowing well and it was clear their senses of humor meshed well together. When they were getting ready to leave, Katie asked, “shall we?” and Mark responded, “Let’s shall!” in a high-pitched voice, imitating a cartoon donut from a children’s game. When he realized that he said that and Katie didn’t run away, Mark breathed a sigh of relief. They were both excited by the date and went on several more, including a water balloon show and the Hands-On Museum. They quickly became so in love that they were starting to annoy their friends, and they remain just as in love, but slightly more bearable.

Their engagement story:

The venue was booked, all they needed was a ring to make it official! Katie (being somewhat of a control freak) told Mark the ideal time frame for him to propose was April 28-May 12 because she had a break from med school, and also asked she be given enough notice to get her nails done ahead of time (Katie is a little bit needy). On April 21st, Katie’s best friend Kierstin came up to Ann Arbor to get a manicure. Katie knew what this meant, and talked incessantly to Kierstin and her manicurist about how worried she was that her nails would chip before she got engaged the following weekend, which would fall within Katie’s two week time frame. Much to her surprise, at the end of the appointment her manicurist handed her an envelope labeled “Clue #1” with a note from Mark saying he hoped their engagement would be special, that he loved her very much, and instructing her to go where they had their first kiss for her next clue. This began a scavenger hunt throughout Ann Arbor, involving Kierstin, five of Katie’s closest med school girlfriends, a limo, and ending with Mark, Hobbes, and a ring in the Arb.

Song that reminds Katie of Mark:

La Vie En Rose by Louis Armstrong, the Michigan fight song

Song that reminds Mark of Katie:

BAE by Trevor Wesley, The Wonder of You by Elvis

Their wedding vision in three words:

Fun, elegant, simple

Their wedding colors:

Navy, peach, ivory, sage

Ann Arbor engagement session in the fall