West Bottoms engagement

West Bottoms Engagement | Laura + Tom

When Laura and I were first planning out their engagement session, she wanted a location that would be true to them. She described their vibe as country and casual, saying they aren't really downtown people. With the session taking place during the winter months, it's hard to make any non-downtown location work since all of nature is pretty dead right about now.

West Bottoms Engagement Photos Livestock Exchange Building

That's when we settled on the West Bottoms. They both love working with cattle, so the Livestock Exchange building seemed like the perfect spot for their West Bottoms engagement session. We received permission to explore the insides of this historic building followed by my favorite West Bottoms Location, the 12th street bridge.

These two even included their dog, Paisley, in the fun.

Thank you Laura and Tom for a fun West Bottoms engagement session! Here's your full preview!

West Bottoms Engagement Photos Livestock Exchange Building

- Hear from the couple -

How did he propose?

Every year Tom, Paisely (our dog), & I pick a different drive thru Christmas light display to go through. So, this past December 17th we were having a very normal Saturday. We ran errands, cleaned the house, etc…We decided we would go to dinner at V's because that is our favorite little Italian restaurant and we hadn't been in a couple months. At least, that's what I thought. This had been Tom's plan all along (to go to dinner at V's). After dinner we came home and grabbed our dog and went to a drive thru Christmas light display. Again, nothing our of the ordinary as we do this every year, so I was still not suspecting a thing. On our way home we decided to drive around/through our neighborhood and check out some of the Christmas lights. Tom mentioned before we went home that we would stop by the "wishing tree" to take a picture. The wishing tree is a tree in our neighborhood that gets decorated every Christmas with a ton of lights. So, on our way home we stopped by the wishing tree and took a selfie. Tom asked me if I had made a wish and what it was. I told him I couldn't tell him, because then the wish wouldn't come true. After telling him this, he gave me a kiss on the forehead and said "well, my wish is that you would say yes to me." He then got down on one knee, holding a diamond ring, and asked "Will you marry me?" It was PERFECT! I wasn't dressed up or had my hair or makeup all done. I had on leggings and an Old Navy sweatshirt. My hair was up in a messy bun, but it didn't matter. It was PERFECTLY us! I like to joke and give Tom a hard time and tell him that he gave me our own Hallmark movie scene. Haha

Question for the bride: what do you love most about him?

Tom is the most thoughtful, giving, and honest person I know. I don't think I ever really thought I could sincerely trust or love someone as much as I do him. He makes me feel safe, valued, and loved unconditionally. I often tell Tom that sometimes I can't believe our life together/love is real, but it definitely is.

Question for the groom: what do you love most about her?

In all my travels, Laura is the funniest, most sincere and level-headed woman I have ever met. I have been across the states and beyond and can truly call her my soulmate and best friend because she gets me and I love her. I have finally found my reason to settle down and call a place home.

What's your favorite part about wedding planning?

Tom's answer: That Laura enjoys it as much as she does.
Laura's answer: It's just super exciting for me to plan the biggest, most important day in our lives (up until now). It's exciting and also a little nerve-racking, haha. I've been looking forward to this day for a long time and it's just so fun and exciting to see it all come to fruition and finally get to make these big decisions.

What are you looking forward to most about your big day?

Tom's answer: Seeing the big smiles on our friends & families' faces.
Laura's answer: Having Tom see me for the first time that day and walking down the aisle to him and to our forever.

West Bottoms Engagement Photos Livestock Exchange Building

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Elizabeth is a Kansas City wedding photographer who specializes in bright and airy images.
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