I get excited to share all VRP bride and grooms’ photos on the blog, but I’m particularly excited to share this session, because Richard is my baby cousin!
Richard is marrying the lovely Maclaren (whom the whole Berenda family just adores), and they’re trusting me to be their wedding photographer! “Honored” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel to shoot their wedding for them!
Their big day will be incredible, but for now, I’m thrilled to share Richard and Maclaren’s Holcomb Gardens engagement photos in Indianapolis on the blog!
According to Maclaren, she “forced” Richard to be her friend!
To be honest, Mac has been part of the family for so long now that I couldn’t remember how the two of them met. So, Mac gave me the full scoop!
Mac transferred to Richard’s high school their sophomore year. According to Richard, he remembers seeing Mac for the first time during an orientation night before school began. Mac was overwhelmed being at a new school, so she doesn’t remember seeing Richard that evening, but it didn’t take long for her to notice him!
Being at a smaller school, Mac and Richard had a lot of classes together. Mac says she remembers noticing Richard in math class. She thought he was cute and would steal glances at him when she could.
However, Richard purposely ignored Maclaren—not because he wasn’t interested, but because he was afraid he wasn’t mature enough to have a girlfriend. (He’s always had a heart of gold! I just love him!)
In the meantime, Mac became good friends with Carter—Richard’s younger brother—and she decided that she was going to make Richard become her friend.
Between having math, history, English, and a couple other classes together, Mac and Richard’s paths continued to cross, and Mac decided she wasn’t going to let Richard ignore her, and over time, she essentially slowly wore him down, Richard began to open up, and a real friendship started.
Then, Mac and Richard both joined theatre. This resulted in even more time together, and after Mac told the teacher she’d only be in Macbeth if Richard was too, they became best friends.
A few months later, Mac invited friends over to her house for a movie marathon for her birthday, and Richard sat next to her on the couch. During the movie, Richard took Mac’s hand.
At the end of the night, the group hadn’t made it through all the movies, but Richard sweetly told her, “I could come back tomorrow and watch the others with you before your rental is up.”
So, Richard came back the next day and brought Carter—which was cool because Mac and Carter were already good friends—and movie nights became Richard and Mac’s thing. Then, they became “official” on New Year’s Eve—the last day of 2014.
Mac & Richard have already conquered trials as a couple.
Richard and Maclaren have been together since their sophomore year of high school, and after high school, Richard joined the National Guard, which meant being gone for about six months for boot-camp and training.
Many young couples often call it quits here, but not these two. While I have no doubt that it was hard, Mac supported Richard’s choice, and the two went from seeing one another daily to long distance. And, now, Richard is often gone for a week or more at a time, but Mac remains supportive and understanding.
Richard and Maclaren, thank you both for your sacrifices for our country. You’re both incredibly selfless and are clearly starting marriage with a strong foundation.
When Richard called Mac at work, she had a feeling the proposal was coming.
In February 2019, Mac was at work having what she thought was a normal day. Then, Richard called her—which she says he never does while she’s at work.
Fearing something might be wrong, Mac answered the phone anticipating an emergency, but instead, Richard said, “Do you want to go out to dinner tonight?”
Mac told him she did, and when she hung up, she told her coworker, “I think Richard’s going to propose tonight.”
Mac says she spent a long time getting ready for their date. “Just in case I was going to get engaged, I wanted to look cute!” she said.
Richard picked Mac up, and they went to Texas Roadhouse (one of their favorite restaurants). When they left the restaurant and the question hadn’t been popped, Mac was still suspicious, and her gut was still telling her that this was going to be the night.
Her suspicions were essentially confirmed when Richard didn’t turn on to Mac’s road and started driving toward Lake Monroe in Bloomington, Indiana in the dark.
When they got to the lake, Richard and Mac sat at a picnic table overlooking the water, and while they sat, Richard took the ring out of his pocket and asked Maclaren to be his wife. And, she said yes!
Side note: Lake Monroe happens to be where Richard’s dad (my uncle) proposed to his mom (my aunt). How sweet is that?!
Richard & Maclaren decided to do their engagement photos at Holcomb Gardens.
With Richard and Maclaren living in Bloomington and Zach and I living in Lafayette, we decided the Indy would be approximately a halfway location to meet. And, after doing a little research, Maclaren decided that she would love to do their engagement photos at Holcomb Gardens in Indianapolis—which is on Butler’s campus.
Mac and Richard followed the style guide I shared with them perfectly and just all around killed their session! Military guys take photo instructions super well, and Mac just couldn’t be anymore adorable. I mean, just wait until you see the photos!
Congratulations, Richard & Maclaren!
Mac and Richard, again, I can’t begin to tell you how honored I am that you’re trusting me to be your wedding photographer or how much Zach and I love you both.
A few years ago, I knew that Mac was going to be the one during a family Christmas. Mac went into the other room, and while she was gone, Richard, you asked Zach and I how old we were when we got engaged. (We were only 20, so we understand knowing at a young age!)
We can’t wait to celebrate your wedding at Whippoorwill Hill with you in Bloomington this August or to watch your marriage grow over the years. Love you both! Congratulations!
Richard and Mac had talked about marriage, but Richard jokes he knew Maclaren wanted him to propose when she started sending him photos of rings. She gave him inspiration, but Maclaren says Richard picked out a ring better than she could’ve imagined. Isn’t it stunning?!
