A joyful evening at Knox Botanical, a hilarious New Girl realization, and two people completely smitten with one another.
There are some engagement sessions that leave you smiling long after you’ve packed up your camera, and Maddie and Kyle’s was definitely one of them. These two will become the new Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson when they say “I do” in May of 2027 at The Trillium, but for their engagement session, they chose the beautiful Knox Botanical Garden. It was the perfect setting to spend an evening getting to know them better, and by the end of our time together, I was already counting down the days until their wedding.
If you’ve been around me for any amount of time, you probably know I’m a huge New Girl fan. I’ve watched the series more times than I can count, so you would think I would have noticed this immediately. Surprisingly, I didn’t.
About halfway through Maddie and Kyle’s engagement session, I paused to photograph Maddie’s ring. Since they weren’t changing outfits, they stood beside me chatting while I focused on getting the diamond perfectly sharp. As I concentrated on keeping my hands steady, I wasn’t looking at Kyle—I was simply listening to him talk. That’s when it hit me.
His voice sounded exactly like Schmidt from New Girl.
I immediately looked up and asked if anyone had ever told him that before, and he laughed. Apparently, I’m far from the first person to notice! Kyle shared that complete strangers have walked up to him in bars just to tell him he sounds like Max Greenfield. It was honestly uncanny. While Schmidt is “from” Long Island, Kyle’s Michigan accent somehow lands in almost the exact same place. I’m convinced that if Hollywood ever needed voice doubles, Kyle could step in for Max Greenfield without missing a beat.
As funny as that realization was, it wasn’t my favorite part of the evening.
What stood out most is how Kyle looked at Maddie.
Every single time he turned toward her, it was like he had hearts in his eyes. It was one of those things that couldn’t be staged or directed—it was simply genuine. He looked at her with so much admiration, and it was impossible not to notice how completely smitten he is. Then again, Maddie is absolutely stunning, so I can’t exactly blame him. More importantly, though, you can tell that their relationship runs much deeper than appearances. They have an effortless comfort together that made every photo feel natural.
The gardens provided such a peaceful backdrop as we wandered the pathways, stopping beneath blooming greenery and among the beautiful stonework that makes Knox Botanical one of my favorite engagement session locations in Knoxville. Everywhere we turned seemed to offer another perfect spot, and these two made every frame come to life with how naturally they interacted with one another.
Maddie and Kyle, thank you for such a fun evening and for introducing me to what might just be Schmidt’s long-lost Michigan voice twin. I can’t wait to celebrate alongside you both in May 2027 as you officially become Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson!
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