Kourtney & Matt | Proposal
Athens GA Photographer

November 30, 2020

Kourtney & Matt met on an off-chance one night out in Athens, GA through a mutual friend.  As they were talking and getting to know each other that night, Matt learned that Kourtney has family history & connections in Louisiana… and it seemed as if the stars were aligning, because Matt was needing to find a date for an upcoming fraternity formal event in New Orleans!  They were both flirting away and looking for the chance to share a good time on a really fun trip, which they did.

Not all love stories begin with spicy crawfish and alligator sausage, but for Kourtney and Matt, their story will begin and end with their love of good food. The daytime streets of New Orleans were a perfect backdrop for these two to get to know one another’s shared sense of humor, excitement for new adventures, and propensity to dance to music in the middle of the street.

The times they had in New Orleans were too special to be just a blip on their college dating lives, but what comes next in this story has multiple versions depending on who you talk to…

It turns out that Kourtney had her own sorority formal event to get a date for and… she took another guy!  Kourtney will tell you this was no more than a setup that her friends had previously made that she needed to follow through on, and Matt will always overstate the feeling of “heartbreak” for being slighted.

Nonetheless, the night of the formal event, Kourtney was dressed to the nines on the other side of town and Matt was with the guys, wishing he could be with the girl and realizing he had some very real feelings. He received a call from a friend at the same formal event urging him to crash the party and come take back his girl, and Matt did not need any more of an invitation.

He quickly got dressed into his tux and found a ride to the event. In romantic fashion, Matt entered the room, overlooking the dance floor and searching for Kourtney. She noticed him from afar and couldn’t believe that this guy had made such a bold gesture to be with her. Finally they locked eyes.

ANNNNDDDD the curtain closes. Just kidding, but does this not sound like it’s straight out of a movie?!  And this “happy ending” was only the beginning of Matt & Kourtney’s love story.  4.5 years later, and a couple weeks ago, Matt made another grand gesture and surprised Kourtney when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.  It was all a part of a sneaky plan that Kourtney was unaware of, so she was VERY surprised.

I hid in the bushes at the Founders Memorial Garden on UGA’s campus to capture the sweet moment, and then we casually walked up to Herty Field to take pictures… where Kourtney was surprised AGAIN by their entire friend group waiting and cheering with champagne. It was such an emotional and joyful afternoon, and I am so grateful that Matt reached out to me to capture it.

Congrats, Kourtney & Matt!!!

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Claire Diana