There are some clients who leave a mark on your heart forever… the kind who remind you exactly why you fell in love with photography in the first place. Lexi and Ryan are those people for me. What started as a simple JMU graduate session on the Quad turned into a three-year friendship that has shaped my heart, my business, and my life in ways I’ll cherish forever.

The Beginning – Lexi & Ryan’s JMU Graduate Session

Our first interaction was just a few short text messages:

“Where should we meet you?”
“We’re so excited!”
“See you later!”

Little did I know that session would be the start of something so special. From the moment we met on the Quad, we hit it off instantly — laughing, frolicking through campus, and capturing photos that are still among my favorites to this day.

I believe every photographer has a photoshoot that they’ll never forget, or really the people they are photographing that just remind us why we chose to do this in the first place. I knew, while walking back to my car after their session, that Lexi and Ryan would be in my life for good. I could not stop smiling that whole night, just so excited that I met two people who truly cherished me for me, and not “just another photographer”. During their session they encouraged me to raise my prices, they hyped me up, and I could just truly be myself.

At that point in my career, I was still new. I did not know what I was doing, I was finding my style, my brand, my groove in the industry. I was beginning to branch into new things like couple’s sessions and weddings. I really wanted my first “good” couples session to be memorable, and it’s only possible to do that when you surround yourself with people that make it memorable. Just a few weeks after Lexi and Ryan’s grad session, I decided to ask them to do a photoshoot at Ravens Roost Overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway…and that shoot changed everything. We rode together, talking the entire way there and back, and I remember laughing so hard my cheeks hurt. It was SO much fun, and encouraged me to keep doing more. One of my favorite memories of that time is when we made a quick pitstop at Sonic so Ryan and Lexi could beg me to try a cherry limeade. To this day it’s still my favorite drink, and every time I think of them when I get one. 

Here’s the catch about that couple’s session, and something that told me I was doing something right (or that this is exactly what I was meant to be doing)… Lexi had stepped away and Ryan used it as an opportunity to tell me he was proposing, and he wanted me to be there to document it. It was the first big secret I had to keep in my career and I was over the moon that he trusted me enough to be a part of something so special.

The Journey – The Proposal!

It was only two months after our session on the parkway that Ryan finally had everything prepared to propose to Lexi. I drove out to Maymont Park in Richmond, beyond nervous, actually terrified, but also feeling incredibly emotional. I remember tearing up a few times on the drive just because the anticipation was overwhelming. When I got to the park I helped Ryan set up for the proposal of Lexi’s dreams. Photos from throughout their relationship strung across the columns,

a box of things for Lexi to see when she got there, and a handwritten letter from Ryan about all of the reasons why he wanted to keep her in his life forever. 

Seeing Lexi’s face when she realized what was going on, and that I was there, is something I will never forget. I was recording the entire thing on an audio message for them to look back on and one of my favorite moments is when she said “I love you Katie” while running to her proposal.

Of course, she said yes! There was not a dry eye in that area. We sobbed, we screamed, we took some GORGEOUS photos that I still love so much, and we continued to keep this friendship going strong.

The Wedding & Our Friendship

It wasn’t long after their engagement that I got engaged too. It was in the midst of planning their engagement photos that it happened, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I saw Lexi in person for her and Ryan’s engagement photoshoot. I was on a shorter time crunch with wedding planning, and every time I sat down to think of who I wanted beside me on my big day, my mind kept going back to Lexi. It was strange for me, and others probably thought it was weird… but I knew it was fate. I knew she was the perfect person to have in my life. She supported me in ways some of my closest friends and family hadn’t. She was always an open ear to talk to, and 3 photoshoots had turned into monthly FaceTime calls and debriefing what was going on in our lives. 

So, at their engagement session, they surprised me with some flowers, champagne, and a letter, and I surprised Lexi with a bridesmaid proposal to be in my wedding. It still, to this day, is one of the best decisions I made for my wedding.

We ended up getting married just three weeks apart. Lexi as a bridesmaid in mine, and me photographing hers. On their wedding day, I didn’t feel like a vendor; I felt like family. Every moment behind the camera was emotional because I wasn’t just documenting their story, I was living a part of it, too. I was so emotional throughout the day, carrying the role of more than a photographer, but a friend, hypewoman, and a sister.

Now we both have many photos and memories to cherish with each other, and a whole future of more laughs, photos, and memories ahead.

What This Story Means

Stories like Ryan and Lexi’s remind me that this job isn’t about showing up with a camera. It’s about growing alongside the people who trust me with their biggest moments, but also value me enough to be a part of my own. That’s what Katie Black Photography is all about: connection, trust, and memories that come full circle.

If you’re looking for a photographer who truly invests in your story from start to finish, I’d love to be that person for you.

---