Carlos Austin Photography is proud to present Kiki
and Mark who are getting married in January of 1998!
Mark and I met in Austin in late 1993 in a modern dance company.
We were engaged on January 11th, 1997 on the ski slopes in Taos, New
Mexico.
Mark has been skiing since he was a baby. I have never skied before,
and
Mark was sure that once I started, I would never want to stop. In
January of 1996, he took me for a one day ski trip to Santa Fe, New
Mexico. He taught me how to ski, or rather, I learned how to sucessfully
role down the mountain. After the end of the day, with an aching body, I
swore that I despised skiing and would never do it again! Somehow,
though, he talked me into giving it a second try, and in March of that
same year I fell in love with the sport!
When we moved to New Mexico, we were excited about all the ski
valleys
that were so close to us! We made one of our first trips to Taos. We
stayed at this wonderfully romantic bed and breakfast half way between
the ski valley and the town of Taos. The first day of skiing for us,
Saturday the 11th, would be one we would remember for a lifetime! It
started snowing early, and continued to snow all day. (36 inches in 24
hours!!) At lunch, we found this sweet restaurant on the slopes, The
Bavarian. The food was delicious and the atmosphere divine. Made of dark
woods and original decor imported from Bavaria, Mark thought he had
found the perfect spot.
He had been planning this proposal for some time. At Christmas, he
informed all of my family that he was going to propose, and he told all
of his co-workers before we left for the trip. In fact, he had stashed
the ring under the car seat, and I had been driving it around all week
long!! When in Taos, he had hoped for a sleigh ride, or something, but
hadn't found one. When we went into the Bavarian for lunch, I happened
to point out to him the beautiful old fashion sleigh parked in front of
the restaurant.
At lunch he picked at his food, and continued to act strange the rest
of
the day. At about 3:00, he announced that he wanted to go back to that
restaurant and take a picture of it. So, we skied back to the
restaurant, he snapped a few pictures, and dusted off the sleigh so he
could take a picture of me in it. I sat down, thinking he was acting
weird, and he snapped the shot. Then he came over to me with a sweet,
nervous look on his face. He knelt down on one knee in the sleigh, and
started digging for something in the inside of his jacket. I said,
"Mark, if you need some chapstick, I have some right here." Right then
he pulled out the ring box and I immediately started to cry!! He
stammered a soft "will you marry me?"
The rest of the day is a blur. We went back to the restaurant that
night
and began planning the wedding. Now, every time we go to Taos, we eat
there, and no matter where we ski, I think Taos will always be my
favorite place!!!
Kirsten and Mark-December 1997