BY JADE


From the Friend Zone to Forever


For Cody and Ashley, their story started years ago while showing pigs in high school. Long before engagement rings, wedding plans, and dreams of building a future together, there was a young man with a crush and a young woman who wasn't quite convinced. As Ashley tells it, Cody spent years firmly planted in the friend zone. Even after they headed to separate colleges, he never completely gave up. Then, in August of 2021, he decided to take one final shot. This time, Ashley said yes. And thankfully for both of them, Cody's patience paid off.


What followed wasn't the easiest chapter of their story. Their relationship would be built across miles, schedules, and countless weekends spent traveling back and forth to see one another. When they first started dating, Ashley was finishing her degree at Iowa State while Cody had already graduated and returned home to begin working full-time. After graduation, Ashley moved to Kansas City for her career while Cody remained in Prescott. For four years, they mastered the art of long-distance love—trading city weekends for small-town weekends and making every moment together count. The miles weren't always easy, but they taught them something important: some things are worth showing up for again and again.


Last July, after four years of long-distance dating, they finally moved into their first home together on Cody's family farm. A place that has become much more than an address—it's become the place for their future.

And it just so happens to be where one of the most meaningful moments of their lives unfolded. On a quiet November morning, Cody surprised Ashley with a proposal outside the home they now share. Standing beside the pond they both love, overlooking the view they've often talked about while dreaming of where they might someday build a house for their future family, Cody asked Ashley to spend forever with him.


When it came time to plan their engagement session, there was never much question about the vibe they wanted. Rustic. Natural. Outdoors. Somewhere that felt like them. And honestly, there couldn't have been a more perfect fit.Surrounded by open fields, farm views, and the quiet beauty of rural Iowa, Cody and Ashley spent their session exactly the way they wanted their photos to feel—laughing, teasing each other, and simply being themselves. Ashley described wanting images that captured their relationship naturally, and that's exactly what happened. The moments between poses often became the best moments of all. The genuine laughs. The playful interactions. The subtle looks that only come from years of choosing each other through every season of life.



After four and a half years together, they've built a relationship that continues to grow in friendship, patience and commitment. They've learned how to make long distance work. They've created a home together. And now they're planning a wedding in one of the most meaningful places of all—the Iowa State Fair, where their relationship first began. There's something incredibly fitting about that.Because their story has never really been about a single moment. It's been about all the moments in between. The years of friendship. The waiting. The road trips. The phone calls. The weekend visits. The dreams shared beside a pond. And now, the excitement of building a future together.


Cody and Ashley, thank you for trusting me to capture this season of your story.

Your journey is proof that sometimes the best love stories aren't rushed—they're patiently built over time.

I can't wait to see you two say "I do" at the place where it all began.

Romantic couple embracing in golden wheat field with lighthouse backdrop during outdoor wedding photography session.
Collage of a couple posing near a farm truck, trees, and rustic gates during a country engagement session.
Blurry black and white photo of a couple holding hands running through a field, hair blowing in the wind.
Couple holding hands standing in front of lush green bushes, woman in white dress and man in black shirt and jeans.
Black and white photo of a couple sitting on a farm gate holding hands, smiling at each other in a rural setting.
A smiling couple poses outdoors on a green hillside near water, man in black shirt and jeans, woman in white dress.
Couple sharing a romantic almost-kiss moment in a golden wheat field, woman in white lace dress and man in black shirt.
Black and white photo of a joyful couple spinning together in an open grassy field.
Couple sharing a romantic moment in golden field at sunset, woman in white lace dress and man in black jacket.
Couple standing together in a lush green meadow beneath a large bare tree at golden hour.
Black and white photo of a couple sharing a drink from a bottle outdoors in an open farm field.
Couple posing by a white farm truck near grain silos at sunset on a rural farm property.
Couple walking hand in hand through tall green grass field, woman in white midi dress and man in dark shirt and jeans.
A couple holds hands and smiles on a lush green path, woman in white dress, man in black shirt and jeans.
Couple holding hands walking through lush green field, woman in white maxi dress and man in black jacket and jeans.
Couple holding hands and smiling at each other while leaning on a rustic red farm gate in a green field.
Couple posing outdoors in a green field, man in black and woman in white dress, engagement photo collage.