Want to know what fills me with more joy than just about anything else? When a couple who keeps Christ at the center of their relationship decides to get married!

With this in mind, I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for Nicholas Ballester and Madeline Pingel to get married in May 2019!

While I’m counting the days until this sweet couple becomes one as husband and wife, I’m thrilled to share their engagement session in downtown Lafayette, Indiana on the blog!

Nick deserves an award for planning such a thoughtful proposal!

Before we dive into Nick and Madeline’s fall engagement photos, I do have to brag on Nick for a second for his incredible proposal.

A few days before popping the question in August, Nick contacted me about photographing his proposal. I assumed this would be a simple say-something-sweet and get-down-on-one-knee kind of proposal, but it was SO much more than that, AND I had the honor of capturing it for them!

Before getting to the main event, Nick recreated his and Madeline’s first date but made it into a scavenger hunt. Just like they did 364 days before (more on that in a second), they went to dinner, got ice cream, walked across the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge, and then went to St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lafayette, Indiana. At each location, Nick left a love letter for Madeline. When she read the last letter outside of St. Boniface, Nick took her by the hand, led her to the Grotto, and got down on one knee.

AND, if this weren’t enough, after Madeline said yes, Nick and Madeline’s families and closest friends came around the corner to congratulate the happy couple AND sing! Nick and Madeline are both very musically talented, making this the perfect addition to the proposal. THEN, Nick jumped in the choir and serenaded Madeline as well!

It was an incredibly thoughtful proposal. While Nick did a great job, I think it’s more than fair to say he was inspired by an equally amazing woman. Here are a few photos from their special evening!

Side note: It didn’t take either Nick or Madeline long to know that they wanted to get married. However, Madeline told Nick that she wanted to date for at least a year and that she’d say no if he popped the question any sooner. Nick proposed 364 days after their first date, one day before their one-year anniversary. Madeline decided to let her request slide by 24 hours!

Nick & Madeline’s faith is truly at the center of their relationship.

Like I said before, it fills my heart with unending joy to see two people who love Christ decide to become husband and wife. Weddings are wonderful, but they last a single day. Marriage, on the other hand, lasts a lifetime. And, nothing holds a marriage together like faith.

For Nick and Madeline, their faith has been at the center of their relationship since day one. In fact, they both take their faith so seriously and knew that they someday wanted to marry another Catholic that they met on CatholicMatch.com!

Through their relationship, they’ve been devoted to their faith first and each other second. This has been evident in every interaction I’ve had with them.

In fact, when Madeline made her engagement announcement on Facebook, she posted, “Around 9 years ago, I got engaged to Jesus because I wanted Him to keep my heart until I found the man that He wanted me to give it to. Found him.”

Nick and Madeline, I pray that Christ will always be your first love and that your marriage will be a testament to our Lord and Savior and His love for all of us.

Sidenote: Nick and Madeline have great senses of humor and know that their dating choices don’t necessarily mirror other people’s choices. They poke fun at their own relationship and refer to themselves as being “nauseatingly wholesome.” I can’t tell you how hard I laughed when Madeline explained this to me during their engagement session!

“May the fourth” be with Nick & Madeline on their big day!

I was looking forward to Nick and Madeline’s wedding before, but after all the fun I had with them during their engagement session in downtown Lafayette, Indiana, I can’t wait for their big day! While they’re naturals in front of the camera, they were killing me with their goofy poses between my instructions and when they were taking selfies while I shot Madeline’s ring. You can bet that we’ll be doing some “freestyle” photos on their big day!

And, you read that heading right! Nick and Madeline are getting married on May 4, 2019! For Star Wars fans, this is a very fun fact, and it has me wondering if Nick and Madeline will incorporate any Star Wars elements into their big day. Maybe the bridesmaids will have Leia-inspired updos?! We’ll see!

Congratulations, Nick & Madeline!

Future Mr. and Mrs. Ballester, I can’t tell you how honored I am to be your wedding photographer. Your big day will be a celebration. I hope you enjoy your engagement and wedding planning, but during this process, I pray that you remember why you’re getting married: to bring God glory.

Are you a bride looking for a wedding photographer?

I’d love to meet you for coffee and learn more about your big day!