Couple's Creative Engagement Shoot Is A Serious Blast From The Past

The shoot spans the '20s, '40s, '60s, '90s and today.

After getting engaged in January, Georgia actors Kara McDowell and Quade Sewell set out to take engagement pics ― but they wanted theirs to be more creative than the average shoot.

So they rented period costumes, hired photographer Joshua Grasso and makeup artist Dayle Tiefert and took photos around Marietta, Georgia that portray them as a couple in the 1920s, 1940s, 1960s, 1990s and today.

The pair met while studying Theatre at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. They fell in love while performing together in "The Single Girl's Guide."
The pair met while studying Theatre at Troy University in Troy, Alabama. They fell in love while performing together in "The Single Girl's Guide."

“We came up with the idea on a whim because our lives have always been very theatrical and we wanted our engagement pictures to reflect our creativity,” Kara told The Huffington Post. “We chose the five decades we thought would read well in the pictures and could reflect our personalities the best.”

They went with a fabulous flapper theme for the 1920s:

After college, Kara and Quade moved on to work as performers at Dollywood in Tennessee, which is where Quade proposed onstage this January.
After college, Kara and Quade moved on to work as performers at Dollywood in Tennessee, which is where Quade proposed onstage this January.

They then switched gears to the classy and conservative style of the 1940s:

“We didn’t just want it to be random eras, we wanted it to be as if you dropped us into those decades as Quade and Kara and realistically what we would have woken up that morning and chosen to wear,” Kara said.
“We didn’t just want it to be random eras, we wanted it to be as if you dropped us into those decades as Quade and Kara and realistically what we would have woken up that morning and chosen to wear,” Kara said.
Quade is originally from Stone Mountain, Georgia, while Kara hails from Birmingham, Alabama.
Quade is originally from Stone Mountain, Georgia, while Kara hails from Birmingham, Alabama.

Kara and Quade got in touch with their inner flower child for the 1960s:

"After we got the finished copies of the photos I uploaded a few of them to Facebook and Instagram and got a huge response," Kara said. "Everyone loves them and thinks they fit us as a couple perfectly."
"After we got the finished copies of the photos I uploaded a few of them to Facebook and Instagram and got a huge response," Kara said. "Everyone loves them and thinks they fit us as a couple perfectly."
"Our families are so excited about this time in our lives and are incredibly supportive and they just adore the pictures," Kara said.
"Our families are so excited about this time in our lives and are incredibly supportive and they just adore the pictures," Kara said.

Grunge outfits were in order for the 1990s:

They picked an alleyway to give the 90s shots a moody feel.
They picked an alleyway to give the 90s shots a moody feel.
"The show we were doing at the time of the photo session was located on the Marietta Square across the street from a vintage costume store called 'Vintage by Judith,'" Kara said. "After meeting with the eccentric Judith... we knew that we could make our dream photoshoot a reality."
"The show we were doing at the time of the photo session was located on the Marietta Square across the street from a vintage costume store called 'Vintage by Judith,'" Kara said. "After meeting with the eccentric Judith... we knew that we could make our dream photoshoot a reality."

And finally, Kara and Quade absolutely shine in their modern-day shots:

Welcome to the 2010s! Here Kara and Quade display their real sense of style.
Welcome to the 2010s! Here Kara and Quade display their real sense of style.
"The shoot took so long that we barely had anything to eat or drink the whole day," Kara said.
"The shoot took so long that we barely had anything to eat or drink the whole day," Kara said.

The shoot took approximately nine hours to complete, but it was well worth it.

“I checked my email every day after the shoot because I literally couldn’t wait to see the photos,” Kara said. “They are everything we imagined them to be and the hard work and long day were completely worth it.”

Kara and Quade are currently acting in a show at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre. Their wedding is scheduled for January 2017 at Ashton Gardens in Sugar Hill, Georgia.

Before You Go

For the couple who doesn't mind getting messy:

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