These are my cute friends Kelly + Joff.

For a long time, I told Kelly I was going to force her + Joff into a fake engagement session so I could practice my photography skills on some ridiculously photogenic people. We talked and talked about it ( including conducting an awesome Internet search for bad engagement photos )....then nothing ever happened, because as you know, life happens.

Then Kelly texts me on a random February day, and we decide to take photos that Saturday in the dead of this brutal, brutal winter. Why you ask? You probably want to hear that—surprise!—Kelly + Joff are now engaged. But no. The answer is that we are both just a wee bit crazy.

Luckily, we camped out at Merchant for most of the session, drinking delicious craft cocktails + annoying the bartender, who I am pretty sure was less than thrilled we showed up right when the place opened. I highly recommend ordering The Regret—Death's Door vodka ( or gin ), lime juice + rosemary served on the rocks, for the record.

I am little disappointed we never got to recreate this photo with downtown Madison's parking meters, but c'est la vie—these kids are still my faves anyways.