Happy Hump Day, Lovelies!!!  Today’s fabulous featured engagement comes from Kelly Hornberger of Kelly Hornberger Photography, a Houston, Texas based wedding photographer.   Kelly has been so sweet and accommodating to GSS and we have truly enjoyed working with her on this feature.

Brooke and Derek are to be married on April 8, 2011 in Austin, Texas.  Brooke was kind enough to answer a few questions for us:

How did you and Derek meet? We met through a mutual friend our freshman year at the University of Texas.

How long did you date before the proposal OR How long have you been together? We were together for about 3 1/2 years before the proposal, but had been friends for over 5 years prior to dating.

Have you set a date yet? Yes!  April 8, 2011.

Have you picked your venue?  If so, what made you choose this location? Yes- Barr Mansion in Austin, Texas. We looked at about 9 other venues in Austin but fell in love with the charm of Barr Mansion. It was by far the most unique place we visited and we fell in love with it at first sight. We booked it in late March 2010 and in June, the ballroom of the facility was struck by lightning and burned down. We were devastated by the news, but the venue promised to rebuild.  It’s been a much longer process than everyone originally projected, but we’re remaining positive that it will be completed by April.

At what point did you know that Derek was “the one”? Once we started dating and began spending every weekend together, I started to realize how happy Derek was making me and how everything felt so easy and comfortable from the very beginning. It felt like everything we did together (even the occasional mundane event) was fun and I hated when we had to leave each other.

Besides getting engaged, what is your favorite memory as a couple? A few years ago we attended a friend’s wedding in San Francisco and we went up a few days early so we could explore the city and go to Napa Valley by ourselves. It was a fast & furious trip, but we had a blast.

How did Derek propose? Last March, we had quite a few family events occur all in the same weekend- a wedding shower, a 21st birthday and a baby Christening. Because of the festivities, a lot of our family was in town. Month’s prior to this weekend, and without my knowing, Derek saw this as a perfect opportunity to propose since our families would be together. On Saturday, Derek took me to our favorite restaurant- Grappino di Nino’s- and popped the question! I was completed shocked and discovered later that this was just the first of many surprises. As I was saying YES, my best friend was hiding in the bushes taking pictures. When we left the restaurant, Derek took me to a wine bar, where both of our families were waiting for a surprise engagement party. In the back of the party room was our favorite local singer/guitarist, playing our favorite songs. Derek did such a wonderful job and I could not have imagined a more perfect engagement!

Were you surprised? YES!

Tell us about your inspiration for your engagement session… What made you choose St. Arnold Brewery as the location? (We LOVE Saint Arnold!) Derek and I had visited Saint Arnold Brewery many times for tours & tastings, and their beer is some of our favorite. We wanted our engagement pictures to be fun and reflect our personalities, so we couldn’t think of a more perfect place than Saint Arnold’s, a place we had been visiting together since the beginning of our relationship! 

What made you choose Kelly as your photographer? Kelly shot the wedding of a friend from high school, and I came across the pictures on facebook. I immediately went to her website and fell in love with her style.  Once Derek and I met her in person and got to discuss the vision of our wedding, we totally clicked and the decision was made. We booked her the next week!

Thank you so much, Kelly, for sharing this amazing engagement session with us!  Please stop by her website and show her some love!  And thank you, Brooke, for taking your time to answer our questions!  We hope your wedding is everything that you have ever dreamed of and wish you and Derek a lifetime full of love, laughter, and happiness!!!  May every day be better than the last!

If you have an engagement, wedding, day after, or anniversary session that you would like featured- Please send it to us at submissions@groomsoldseparately.com.  We HEART submissions!