I met Ryan and Erica at a wedding show in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Our chat started with weddings and we went on to discuss shared interests (like Game of Thrones) and I knew that they were going to be fabulous friends! I was seriously stoked when they reached out for me to shoot their engagement as well as wedding photos! It was one of those HECK YES moments and I was so thrilled!

Ryan moved to Albuquerque from Virginia and Erica moved from Maryland. She grew up in Texas. Their relationship is very unique because they blended their cultures, religions, and so much more! Ryan is Deaf and Erica is Hearing. Erica is the pastor at the Albuquerque Mennonite Church. They had a married at the civil wedding before Ryan moved, but that didn’t stop them from having the ultimate wedding experience.

We planned for their engagement photos to be taken at the same location where they would have their gorgeous fall wedding — Old Town Farm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I absolutely loved that they showcased their love for Star Wars and Star Trek as well as including their sweet and loving 9 year old dog, Riley into their engagement photos. The scenery at Old Town Farm is so beautiful and it truly was the perfect location for fantastic engagement photos. I LOVE when couples include their fur babies in their photo session! I also loved that they rocked the plaid in their second outfit choice!

This engagement session with Ryan, Erica, and Riley was extremely special because a few short weeks after, Riley ran over the Rainbow Bridge. Losing a loved one is never easy and I was so honored to be able to capture these beautiful memories with Riley and his mommas. <3

I love #TeamSimka and so thankful that I had the blessing of capturing so many special memories for them! Ryan + Erica — your love moves mountains and I am so lucky to have you two as friends!

Make sure to keep scrolling to see more from Ryan and Erica’s LGBTQ+ engagement photos at Old Town Farm.

Follow this link to check out #TeamSimka’s LGBTQ+ Wedding at Old Town Farm!