A Texas Tech University senior made headlines for her graduation photos turning into a surprising marriage proposal.
Reese Logan, a 21-year-old real estate agent, had just graduated from college. On April 8, 2024, a month before her graduation, Logan, along with her boyfriend Ryan Hartman, also 21, and friends Lauren and Colin, took her graduation photos in front of the Texas state emblem.
Logan planned for a 1.5-hour photo shoot with photographer Brecklyn Kennedy, including some shots with her boyfriend Hartman. “I had planned to take some photos with him, so nothing out of the ordinary,” Logan told Epoch Times.
At the end of the shoot, when the photographer asked if they wanted more photos, Mr. Hartman promptly said, “Yes.”
It was at this moment that her friend Lauren approached Logan to fix her hair, and the photographer turned around. “Hmm, this feels a bit odd,” Logan thought.
Next thing she knew, Mr. Hartman grabbed her hand. “I looked at him, and I just knew what was happening,” Logan said. “And then I saw his face, and I thought, ‘This can’t be real.’ I kept saying, ‘This can’t be real.'”
She had no idea that Mr. Hartman had already bought an engagement ring and obtained her father’s permission. Before getting down on one knee, Hartman told Logan how much he loved her.
“He said some really nice things, but I couldn’t hear because I was so shocked.”
But she distinctly remembers him telling her, “No matter what happens, we’ve been through so much together. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
After the proposal, the couple went to Mr. Hartman’s home, beautifully decorated with flowers and photos of the couple, to celebrate their engagement with custom cookies, cake, and wine.
Months earlier, Hartman had started planning the proposal, buying the ring in January. Since the couple designed their graduation rings together, Hartman knew the seller and got Logan’s ring size from them. He also coordinated the proposal with the photographer, as well as Logan’s friends and family.
“I knew he was going to (propose) soon, but I didn’t expect it to be in my graduation photoshoot,” Logan said, adding she thought the proposal would happen at their graduation ceremony.
Friends and family of the couple had been anticipating their marriage. “I mean, we’ve been together for so long,” Logan said. “Everyone was waiting.”
She always teased her boyfriend as a “terrible liar,” telling him she knew when he would propose, but this unexpected proposal proved her happily wrong.
Hartman and Logan, both from Montgomery, first met in junior high. After Logan, who had just started studying at Montgomery Junior High, and Hartman met, he messaged her on Instagram, sparking their friendship to bloom into a relationship. Shortly after, Mr. Hartman asked her to be his girlfriend.
For the next eight years, this couple stayed together. They graduated from high school, obtained their real estate licenses, and established Hartman Real Estate Team. Logan said they had “been through a lot together.”
Logan graduated on May 11, and Hartman is set to graduate in December this year. The happy couple plans to marry next spring. Their post-marriage goals include continuing to grow their careers in Lubbock, raising children, traveling, and enjoying life together.
Undoubtedly, this special proposal will forever be etched in Logan’s memory. “It’s the best feeling in the world,” she said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s too special.”
This article was originally published on the Epoch Times website.