Hotel Julien Dubuque Engagement Session

August 23, 2021

Amber + Dan

They met through mutual friends, during a night out at the Hotel Julien. Dan was enamored by Amber and her pocket dress. Pocket dresses for the win, always. 🙌 

“We are the definition of opposites attract…we balance each other out.” – Amber

Fast-forward to today, these two have a beautiful blended family with 3 kiddos. On their wedding day, they will have been together 11 years + 1 day.

The Traveling Engagement Ring

They say good things come to those who wait. Case in point, Amber’s gorgeous Tiffany & Co. engagement ring. Slow your scroll about halfway through this post to check it out. 😍💍

Dan went to Tiffany’s in Arizona and described the ring he was looking for. The associate had a ring shipped from Miami, Florida to Scottsdale, Arizona for Dan to see it in person. Once he purchased it, the ring was off to New York to get sized. Then it traveled back to Dan & Amber’s home in Iowa, where Amber unknowingly held it in her hand. She held the package up and asked Dan what he had gotten in the mail. Thinking quickly he responded that they were lightbulbs for his vehicle. Then Dan brought the ring along to Las Vegas and proposed to Amber there.

So just to re-cap, this engagement ring traveled from Florida to Arizona to New York to Iowa to Nevada, and then back to Iowa again. All within 2 weeks. We can probably all agree this ring has done more traveling than all of us in the past year and a half. 😂

Amber + Dan’s summer engagement session at the Hotel Julien in Dubuque, Iowa

We started their engagement session at the place where they first met all of those years ago. They joked about how they like each other much more now than they did then.

We also noted that the hotel bar has had quite the transformation and definitely has a higher sophistication level now than it did then. A glow-up, hotel bar style. Dubuque-ers, if ya know, ya know.

After enjoying a drink on the patio, we headed outside to check out one of my favorite murals in downtown Dubuque. After a quick outfit change, (I am still obsessed with Amber’s dress 😍), we were off to Mount Carmel to check out those stunning Mississippi River views. We wrapped up photos at The Mines of Spain after sunset.

couple sharing a drink at The Hotel Julien bar couple cheersing at hotel julien bar in dubuque engaged woman holding a drink at the hotel julien

3 words to describe Dan, by Amber | meticulous, responsible, loving

man whispering in his fiance's ear during dubuque enagagement session couple holding drinks at the riverboard lounge couple laughing together at the riverboat lounge in dubuque couple laughing together at the hotel julien dubuque bar couple sitting on barstools at the hotel juliencouple walking hand in hand on the sidewalk in downtown dubuque couple outside of the hotel julien in downtown dubuque

3 words to describe Amber, by Dan | sassy, loving, fun…in that order

couple leaning together during dubuque engagement session couple walking together in downtown dubuque couple snuggling together on the back patio of the hotel julien couple sitting together on the back patio of the hotel julien close up of couple leaning together during dubuque engagement session couple having a drink on the back patio of the hotel julien couple enjoying the view on the back patio of the hotel julien birds eye view of a couple holding hands on the back patio of the hotel julien birds eye view of a couple having a drink on the back patio of the hotel julien couple standing in front of a large mural during their downtown dubuque engagement photos

I knew I wanted to spend forever with my love when…

Amber: “When he grabbed my hand during a very stressful first encounter!”

Dan: “When I saw her standing there in her pocket dress, not knowing dresses with pockets even existed.”

couple laughing together on a downtown dubuque sidewalk couple snuggling together on the sidewalk in downtown dubuque black and white photo of couple walking together on the sidewalk in downtown dubuque close up of a couple snuggling during downtown dubuque engagement session a couple laughing together during downtown dubuque engagement session engaged couple sitting in front of a mural in downtown dubuque engaged couple sitting in front of a mural in downtown dubuque woman holding her fiance's arm with her engagement ring visible

What is something you both have in common?

Amber: “Going to supper clubs for dinner, and we both align in our beliefs on raising our kids in a non-conventional way.”

Dan: “We’re both Hawkeyes fans.”

couple sitting together during downtown dubuque engagement session couple snuggling together in downtown dubuque birds eye view of an engaged couple sitting together pear shaped tiffany and co engagement ring couple hugging with a view of dubuque in the background couple snuggling with her engagement ring showing on her left hand couple being playful during their dubuque engagement session

What is something that’s totally different about the two of you?

Amber: “We are the definition of opposites attract…we balance each other out.”

Dan: “Everything.”

couple dancing together with a view of the mississippi river in the background couple dancing together with a view of the mississippi river in the background couple hugging with a view of the mississippi river in the background black and white photo of a couple snuggling with her engagement ring showing on her left hand close up of pear shaped tiffany and co engagement ring couple walking together during mines of spain engagement session couple walking together during mines of spain engagement session dubuque couple kissing during their engagement session black and white photo of a couple snuggling at the mines of spain couple snuggled together at sunset at the mines of spain close up of woman's hand holding her dress and showing off her engagement ring couple walking and laughing together during mines of spain engagement session

What is a fun fact/something people might not guess about your fiancé?

Amber: “He’s great at falling asleep at the most inconvenient times.” Side note… this is so relatable! My husband is the same. 💯 😂

Dan: “There’s nothing anyone does not know about her because of her “biznatches”…. she’s an open book.”

woman kissing her fiance during dubuque engagement session couple running together during mines of spain engagement session couple standing together at sunset during mines of spain engagement session black and white photo of a couple walking together during mines of spain engagement session man kissing his fiance's shoulder during sunset engagement photos at the mines of spain engaged couple walking in the mines of spain in dubuque dubuque couple snuggling at sunset during their engagement session woman looking over her shoulder while her fiance kissing her head during their engagement photosblack and white photo of a dubuque couple snuggling during their engagement session dubuque couple kissing at sunset during their engagement session

I am so excited for Amber & Dan’s wedding at The Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque. If these photos resonated with you, & you’re getting married in Iowa, Illinois, or Wisconsin click over to my contact form & drop me a line.

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  1. Torsha Williams says:

    Congratulations you two! Hoping for many future years of happy marriage! God bless this union.

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Located in Bellevue, Iowa
Serving Eastern Iowa +
Madison, WI + Galena, IL

Modern wedding photography & family documentary sessions in Dubuque Iowa, the Quad Cities, and beyond. Located in Bellevue. Documenting love stories in the everyday moments & the life changing ones. Focused on creating honest images.