I photographed Kessler’s older sister’s wedding back in 2023, and ever since then Kessler has been telling me I’d be her photographer when her time came. Well, her time came! Her family has become some of my favorite people to work with. They are so incredibly kind and loving, and getting to be there for another one of their big moments means more to me than I can put into words. So when Kessler told me she’d always dreamed of taking their engagement photos at Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, I was all in.

Kessler and Thomas are high school sweethearts. They met their freshman year in 2013. He went to Strake Jesuit and she went to St. Agnes Academy, and since the two schools shared a parking lot, the boys would walk over during lunch. They started dating on May 7, 2016, toward the end of junior year and spent the rest of high school together.

College sent them in different directions (Thomas to UT, Kessler to LSU), and over the years they were a little on and off. They always found their way back to each other though, leaning on the saying “if it’s meant to be, it will be.” A couple of years after graduating, everything finally clicked. They’ve been together almost three years this time around, have known each other for over ten, and it honestly feels like they grew up together.

Thomas did not exactly make the proposal easy on himself. About three weeks before, he swiped a little too far while showing Kessler photos on his phone, and there was the ring. Then came the “company party” at The Rustic downtown, which was already suspicious since his company doesn’t do parties and that location is closed. When he moved it to the Galleria location, Kessler may or may not have called the restaurant to ask about a big party that Friday. They said yes, she hung up, and she played along.

That Friday she got ready in the dress she always said she wanted to get engaged in, and Thomas proposed on the steps of her parents’ house so her Havanese, Rosie, could be there. Even with all the clues, she was still completely caught off guard. They celebrated with both of their families, then met up with friends at Los Tios for a weekend full of margaritas and laughing.

Kessler checked romantic, emotional, editorial and whimsical on her questionnaire, and Bayou Bend gave us all of it. We started at the fountain, moved to the terraced lawn below the house, found the ironwork porch, and wandered through the boxwood gardens and tall hedges as the light softened. Somewhere along the way the shoes came off, and the rest of the evening was easy, relaxed and so them.

Planning a Bayou Bend engagement session

Bayou Bend is part of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and it’s one of my favorite spots in the city for an engagement session. The 14 acres of gardens give you so much variety in one place, from open lawns and grass terraces to shaded paths, formal boxwood gardens and the historic house itself. Professional sessions require a reservation through the MFAH, so reach out to them early to lock in your date.

Kessler and Thomas, thank you for trusting me with this chapter. I’ve gotten to celebrate your family before, and I cannot wait for your wedding day at The Houstonian, planned by the amazing team at Wed & Prosper. See y’all soon!