We have been season pass holders every, single year since we began dating and go at least a dozen times each year. We love the food, the atmosphere, the people, the football, the everything! If you’ve been around a while, you’ve probably seen our State Fair of Texas Bucket List. But, since the fair is such a busy place, and there are always a ton of people, we knew we were going to really have to be on top of the planning and strategy for the shoot!

Once we found an amazing photographer, who was crazy enough (and insanely talented) to go along with our idea, we set out for a sunset engagement shoot at The State Fair of Texas!

Photographer: Nat Chittamai | Instagram | Facebook

State Fair of Texas Engagement Photos + Engagement Photo Tips

Chose a location that totally represents you

This was a no brainer for us. We wanted something that SCREAMED “Thomas and Tiffani,” so we chose a place where we had so many wonderful memories and a place that meant a lot to us. Deciding on State Fair of Texas engagement photos was something we just knew would make our friends and family literally say “These are SO YOU” …. and they did.

Bring your support system!

Especially if you are going to a busy place, somewhere there is a lot of traffic, or a decent amount of foot traffic, you need people there! Whether it’s to hold your lipstick, and all the little extras you brought along, or just for emotional support, bring them along. Having someone else there adds a different dynamic, and might make being in a busy place less awkward.

Don’t be afraid to share your ideas with your photographer!

When we first contacted Nat he recommended we start a Pinterest board, so we did! It gave Nat a good idea of the photos we wanted, and let him see what we are looking for. Having engagement photos in a unique location, that not many people use, make things a little more difficult, but having a baseline idea of the kinds of photos we wanted beforehand made it so much easier to go through the motions during the engagement shoot.

Bring props that mean something to you!

The whole point of having a unique engagement photo session is to be unique! So do it! Bring props that are unique to you guys, your location, or something you love! We snagged this “Howdy, Folks!” printable from Whiski Designs the minute we saw it go up on their Instagram! It is so cute, and was the perfect accessory to our engagement shoot at the state fair!

Tell people around you what you’re doing!

Sound silly right? People should just know you’re in the midst of a photo shoot, but they don’t. Let people know. They’ll often give you a little extra! In our case, we were graced with free cotton candy (see below), our photographer and moms were able to ride the carousel with us, and a few other things. Especially if people are staring, and trying to figure out what they’re doing, let ’em know! Everyone loves hearing about an engagement!

Have total confidence while shooting!

When shooting unique engagement photos, you are bound to have people staring. Whether you’re in a park, and wearing crazy clothes, or in the middle of the State Fair of Texas with a photographer in tow, OWN IT! Know people are just curious, and you have to be confident in order to get the best pictures possible!

Don’t worry about peoples’ reactions!

If this isn’t your life motto (it’s totally mine), live by this, y’all! Don’t worry about everything going on around you. Engagement photos are supposed to show how in love you and your significant other are, and of course, to show off the gorgeous asset on your left ring finger! Get lost in the person you are with, flirt, laugh, and enjoy each other. Don’t worry about anyone else… Except maybe your photographer!

If you are interested in seeing more of our engagement photos, head over to our wedding website and check them out -> SweetHomeAnderson.com

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Here are Thomas’ 5 tips for a perfect proposal:
1. Do it when it feels right to you, and only you, to make it as special as it can be.
People are going to ask. They’re going to ask you ALL. THE. TIME. Don’t do it just because people are pressuring you. Wait until the time is not only right for you, but for both of you, and until you’re able to give her the ring she really wants. You want it to be special.
2. Pick a place that sums up your relationship.
I choose Central Park in New York City because we are a traveling couple and it is our travels that makes us feel the most happy. I think the best spot to do it for each couple is somewhere that you guys both love, or a theme that really fits your relationship.

3. Tell your families at the latest moment possible to avoid spoiling it.

I told both of our moms, and of course they promised not to tell anyone, but of course, everyone knew (including Tiff’s nail lady, hah!). If you want to keep it secret, tell the least amount of people and wait until the very end to tell those few people. It will help keep it from getting out to her. If you’re wanting a proposal where you are involving friends or family, obviously this would be even harder! Just keep it on a need to know basis.

4. Say what you are feeling in the moment, instead of coming up with a rehearsed speech.
I believe this is the best advice I can give someone who is looking for the perfect proposal. Trying to remember a speech will make you way way more nervous. Once you get down on that knee your heart will be pounding and you just say what you’re feeling. It’ll make it easier and more genuine if you speak from the heart in that moment.

5. Get it on camera to have the memory forever in print.
If at all possible this is a BIGGEST one for the perfect proposal, especially in a girls eyes. If you can get it on camera or video she will be so thrilled! It will only add to how great the proposal can be.  Whether you set up your own GoPro, have a friend hiding in the bushes, or hire a photographer, just do it, SHE WILL THANK YOU! I’m so glad we were able to get a picture of our proposal to have for the rest of our lives to show our kids, their kids and whoever else.
Using these five tips when you are proposing is sure to help you have the most perfect proposal!

If you aren’t feeling any sappy love stories, you can stop reading now. But if you are in the mood for a couple of sappy love stories, here is our engagement story, written from both perspectives!

Her Story:
I should probably preface this by saying 1- it was SO hot when we got to New York, and 2- I get so cranky when I am hot and hungry. So….. Our flight finally landed in New York, we had been up since 3 AM and I was exhausted! Honestly all I wanted to do was get our bags and take a little 30 minute power nap and grab some lunch so we could explore the city on a full tank of energy! Thomas was rushing me to get our bags, and rushing me to get in line for the taxis! I knew the taxi ride was going to be rough, hello, I get car sickness from sitting in the backseat for five minutes! I knew our ride into the city was going to be brutal! And the heat! Oh my goodness, the heat! It was hotter there, then it was at home, in Texas!
We finally got a taxi, and finally made it to our apartment in East Village, and I was nauseous, exhausted, and hungry! After a few minutes of getting our things settled, and switching from my purse to a backpack, we were ready to go. But before we left, I realized I needed to put something else on the backpack, but Thomas wouldn’t let me even attempt to open it (HASHTAG OBLIVIOUS) which I totally attributed to all of his rushing. Nonetheless, we rushed out the door, with the promise that we would get food somewhere close to Central Park!
It took what felt like forever to get our subway passes but we finally got on the subway and rode it two stops further than needed (first timers, duh), and seeing as how our first try didn’t go so well, and I was even more nauseous at this point, we both decided it was best to get off the subway and walk in to the park! The first thing we saw when we got off of the Subway was The MET! I was completely enamored, but Thomas was having nothing of it, and rushed us past it.
We had both been in sandals for most of the day, thankfully we switched to tennis shoes to go into the park, but my feet were still killing me! AND if you haven’t noticed, Thomas is almost a full foot taller than me, which means his legs are much longer than mine, and he walks 10 times as fast as I do.
So we continued walking practically running to the park, just to get to “some dumb bridge!” We stood around taking pictures for a minute, and finally found someone to take our picture, so we didn’t just have a bunch of selfies of us! The lady went on and on about how she hated when people took pictures from far away, so she wanted to stay up close. Which I was totally fine with! Thomas handed her my phone, and pulls the backpack off my back and starts to rummage through it as if he needed something out of there (STILL OBLIVIOUS). As we were standing there taking the pictures, and my head was on Thomas’ chest (our normal pic stance) I literally felt his heart beating out of his chest!
Two thoughts ran through my mind, either this boy is about to have a seizure (he was epileptic as a little boy and the thought of a seizure often floats in to my mind), or he knew something I didn’t know….
The lady handed us back my phone, and asked if the pictures are OK, and of course I told her they were fine without even really looking at them. But Thomas immediately looked up at her and asked her if she could take a few farther back. I hand her back the phone, and attempted to step back into my place where we had just been standing, but as I turned to see were Thomas had gone, I turned right in to him, down on one knee! At that moment, I felt like MY heart was going to jump out of MY chest! I was shaking so hard, I couldn’t even focus on what Thomas was saying, I just knew this was the part I was supposed to say “yes!” And I did!

His Story:

Flight had just landed in New York City and I was nervous as hell! Not that she would say no, but that she would notice the ring before we got to Central Park, or we wouldn’t make it in time to do it and FaceTime our moms.
We got our bags pretty quick and walked to get a taxi. After about 10 minutes in the taxi line we finally got one. An hour and 15 minutes later we made it to our Airbnb in East Village. In the few minutes she was in the bathroom, I was trying to figure out how to get the ring box and ring from my backpack to hers without her noticing. I was trying to put it in anything that would keep it discreet, like my sunglasses case, her makeup bag, etc and finally I just tucked it in the bottom of the bag.
I was so nervous but totally under control. I was trying to get us outta there without being noticeable that I was rushing us to get to Central Park by a certain time.
We made it to the subway station and after a few tries we finally bought our 7 day subway passes and were on the subway, moving on the 4 train headed uptown. Our first subway ride and all I could think about was what was about to happen when we got there. Without noticing, we accidentally got off the subway at 86th St. but we needed 77th St so then came the walking in the 95 degree heat. We were headed back south on 5th toward the MET and she was SO excited about the MET and I’m kept telling her “no we gotta go we gotta get to the park soon”!
By now it was about 2:45 and I was getting worried because both of our moms took a long lunch together in Dallas so they could be waiting for us to FaceTime them, together, after our engagement. We finally got in the park, passed the Loeb Boathouse, saw the rowboats, and were in love with Central Park already!
I was trying to get us to the Bow Bridge, and we could see it but I didn’t think we were going to make it all the way over there, so we got to the Bethesda Fountain, and I decided that was the best spot. I was thinking about all the movies this Fountain was in, and how amazing it was. I told her I needed to get something out of her bag, so I quickly got it out and shoved the box down, in to my pocket and was holding it for dear life.
I kept telling her we needed to get someone to take our picture and for about 5 minutes we had no luck because no on around us seemed to speak English. Finally we saw two ladies walking through the area and we asked them to take our picture. They said of course, and we began to pose. The ladies are taking some photos and they were talking about how they preferred people taking photos up close versus far away, so they were taking them pretty close.
My heart was about to explode at this point and I was sweating so much from the heat and the nervousness and the death grip I had on the ring box. The ladies were about to hand the phone back to us and I was telling myself “don’t blow the chance” so I asked the ladies if they could take a couple more photos from further back, even though I knew they had just talked about close up photos being better…
I stepped back, behind Tiff and the two ladies gasp as they saw me pull out the box, and oh my God, all of these other people ran up and started taking pictures and Tiff turns around I am on a knee with the ring out (I had the box turned around, the wrong direction, true to my fashion, so I just left it there) and I just said “I love you with all my heart and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, will you marry me?”

Tiff was then shaking out of control at the shock of it all! She said yes, and I put the ring on! Everyone around us was looking at the ring and we had a mini celebration with complete strangers around the Bethesda Fountain admiring the ring and how everything played out. Tiff was still shaking and could not stop smiling! I was so excited and still trying to grasp how perfect it was! We FaceTimed our moms and they were just excited as us and we could not wait to celebrate with them when we got back! I kept thinking to myself “what a start to the trip! I just made the best decision of my life and now the trip for sure is going to be the best trip we could ever imagined!” A trip of a lifetime and a trip that will always be on my mind and in my heart!

Did you have a perfect engagement story too? I wanna hear about it! Leave me a comment with your engagement story!

The post Planning the Perfect Proposal [5 Tips & Our Engagement Story] appeared first on Tastebud Travels.

As a young 20 something enjoying fun, easy, and cheap date nights at home are so important! When my bestie told me she was moving 10 miles from me (versus the 55 she lived before) I knew we were going to soon be implementing a whole lot of movie/hang out nights together! 

When all four of us have crazy busy schedules and planning date nights out aren’t always possible, turning to a date night in with Coca-Cola and Tombstone pizza from Dollar General!

It’s not easy to make a group of four (or more) happy for under $5 but with the digital coupon for $1 off a Tombstone pizza and 1.25L Coca-Cola, it’s oh SO easy! Here’s a few of my favorite date night ideas for a small group that all involve a little Coca Cola and a delicious Tombstone pizza!

1. Doing a home project together while sharing a super easy meal
Bestie just get a new house that has a few at home projects that need to be done? Maybe one of you guys just moved and you need a night in to help the other unpack, or tackle a DIY project! This one is almost too perfect because you can bond, make lasting memories and enjoy some delicious drinks and bites!

2. Movies & Chill with a super easy dinner
Having movie night is one of my most favorite things to do. After a long day, or week, or month, being able to just hang out with friends and enjoy a movie in is fabulous. Alternating who brings the movie and who brings the food is always a good idea, variety is the spice of life!

3. Grabbing a coupon for a Local Adventure or other discount pass and eating pizza at home before going on the adventure
Hello! $5 dinners are the bomb. The only thing better is grabbing a discount pass for an adventurous night out for super cheap as well! After enjoying a Coke and Tombstone pizza from Dollar General, enjoying a fun escape room or other cheap outing with Groupon makes for an awesome date night.

4. Host a game night in with Coca-Cola and Tombstone
Who doesnt love a night of friendly competition, drinks, and pizza? Enough said!

5. A couples picnic with pizza, drinks and games in a fun park.
Are there actually people in this world who don’t enjoy picnics? Just curious. Because I am so not one of those people. I always opt for the non-traditional picnic meal options, and try to find the craziest park possible! Especially during warmer months, there are so many fun festivals or concerts in the park. Consider packing your pizza up in cute tupperware, pouring a nice cold glass of Coke in your tumbler and heading to listen to some live music. Sometimes, getting out of the house can totally change the mood!

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^Clickable^

Keurig K250 | Simple Studio Lighting | iPhone Camera Add On | Fun to do list pad | Marble Phone Case | Wireless SD card | Battery pack | Cute Camera Strap | Editing Day Mug

New Keurig – I know a lot of people are all about if it isn’t broke don’t fix it, but as bloggers, I think a lot (not all) of us really enjoy having the newest technology and gadgets. Keurigs have come a long way from what they once were. You can make tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and so many other yummy drinks! Definitely something lots of bloggers would love, especially for the late nights or the early mornings cranking out blog posts!

Simple studio Lighting – This is a big one for me, and at the top of my list! So many bloggers shoot all of their own photos, and it’s kinda hard to do this at 7pm when the sun has already set and you just need 10 minutes of at least semi-natural lighting! Studio lights or a lighting cube like this one are the perfect gift for a blogger, because it allows them to shoot pictures at any time of the day, and definitely won’t break the budget! 

iPhone camera add on – Sometimes, it’s just not convenient to pull out that big old DSLR camera, so having a handy, but small add on like this makes things so much easier. These make the perfect stocking stuffers and come in so handy for getting the perfect shot of that Starbucks cup!

Fun to do list pad – Having some form of formal to-do list is so important, whether you use the notes app on your phone or use an actual to-do list, they can be so beneficial! This colorful & fun to-do list pad is perfect to keep all of your to-dos organized.
Marble Phone Case – It’s no secret, marble is so in this year. And this marble phone case is everything! This brand has so many fun combinations of marble cases with fun colored bumpers around the case! Seriously, such a perfect stocking stuffer for a blogger, or really anyone!
Wireless SD Card – I’ve had my eye on this little guy for a while now! I get so frustrated having to take my SD card out of my camera, finding my adapter and then inserting it in to my computer #FirstWorldProblems This wireless SD is a real game changer for anyone who uses a camera with an SD card!

Extra Battery pack – There are always those days where social media takes over and our phones hit 1% quicker than we even realize. It happens to me at least once a week, but having extra battery packs stashed in my purse or car can seriously help me avoid the dreaded 1%! This one is Apple certified and comes with a lighting cable already build in- no carrying around your long charger!

Cute Camera strap – Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice of the camera companies to send a generic, boring, black strap with all of their incredibly expensive cameras, but having one that shows off your style is just a little more fun. With 5 different colors and designs, these camera straps are perfect for everyone. I think this one and the wireless SD card would make any DSLR camera owner very happy!
Editing Day Mug – Now that you have that shiny new Keurig, I think we all need a new mug! This mug is so perfect, because we all know bloggers spend tons of time editing photos, and posts and social shares! And we all love sharing cute pics of our adorable mugs!

What gifts are on your blogger wish list this year? Do you have a blogger in your life you’re buying one of these for?

This post contains affiliate links. To read about Savvy Southern Belle’s affiliates please click here.

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Set up virtual dates.
Skype, Facetime, Google hangouts, the list is really endless. With a little planning you can have date night anytime you want. Just grab some popcorn and your favorite candy and it’ll almost be like you’re at home cuddling on the couch together.
Send each other small gifts or care packages.
You know that popcorn and candy I talked about? This is how you’d get it. Care packages are a great way to send pictures, sweets and handwritten notes to your significant other. Thomas and I made it a point to buy each other a little gift each month on our monthly “anniversaries” to show each other we were thinking about the other. Regardless of how big, or small, it’s always the thought that counts.
Rely on your friends (and family)!
My BFF Becca and I have been friends since we were 12, and she was there for me from the minute, Thomas and I started dating (we literally all hung out the night he asked me out), to the day I got home from dropping him off at school. She helped me when things were really tough, and I am so grateful for that friendship, and the support I had.
Create small countdowns until the next time you get to see each other. 
This is such a huge thing. Knowing how many days you have until the next time you get to see each other is a major thing. Like I said, you might not have an actual end in sight, but knowing that there are little checkpoints before the end will keep you looking forward to something.
Stay committed.
This is vital. Commitment is key in just about any relationship, regardless of how far apart you are. Showing that you are committed to your parter is easy, and it’ll give you and them reminders of why you are both going through this- together.
And most importantly, know that this is not forever. 
Thomas and I started our LDR with no end in sight, initially we both thought he’d finish all four years, and then hopefully get drafted, and that’d be a whole different ballgame (literally), but that wasn’t in the books for us, and we have made the most out of the situation we were given. Needless to say, just because you think you can’t see the end of this hard time, know there is always and end!

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