Christi + Matt | bellevue iowa engagement session

On a lazy Sunday in December, Christi & Matt were hanging out watching football together.
Matt asked her if she wanted to open one of her gifts early (he knew she would).
He told her to grab her stocking & she got the sparkliest of surprises.

They met in their hometown of Bellevue, Iowa. Matt loves football, it’s growing on Christi. 😉 They both love their chocolate lab Stella. They’re both dedicated to their careers – Matt’s a teacher & assistant football coach & Christi’s a loan officer. She describes him as goofy, loving, & passionate. He describes her as caring, weird, & supportive. 🙂 She said people would be surprised to know that Matt can be shy, he said people would be surprised to know she’s “tougher than she looks”. <3

When it was time to plan this engagement session, we wanted to incorporate some things & some places that they love. First thing to decide was the time of year. Christi wasn’t able to have a fall wedding (football season), so they settled on a fall engagement session. Marriage is all about compromise people! 😉

We headed to the Bellevue State Park to take advantage of the gorgeous fall color. This was the perfect spot to include their dog Stella, as they often take her for walks around Bellevue. The second place we wanted to go was the football field at Bellevue High School. He’s a coach & an all around football fan, & the proposal took place during Sunday Night Football. The football field was a must! Christi even came prepared with a custom drawn football for the Save the Dates. Sunset at the football field resulted in one of my all-time favorite shots (at the end of the post).

I’m so excited for Christi & Matt’s wedding tomorrow at The Meadows Golf Club in Dubuque. Follow me on Instagram to see behind the scenes on their big day & sneak peeks afterwards!