Surprise Engagement!


I first met Jonathan at a coffee shop in downtown South Bend. He was meeting to see if I could capture a surprise engagement. I was so nervous because it was my first time doing photos for that BUT my excitement could not wait to be a part of it. The first time I met the couple together was before Jonathan asked Taylor to marry him. The couple knew they were getting engaged and wanted to hire me as a photography for their future wedding. Guys, I had to keep such a straight face and avoid questions related to engagement talk. If you know me then you know I tend to talk faster than I think. (Luckily, I did NOT spill the beans.) I only had to wait a few weeks until Taylor knew I was in on the whole process.


The Lion King on Broadway was in town and Jonathan had tickets. He planned to propose to Taylor outside the theater before the show. BUT COVID-19 had different plans. Days--I mean DAYS before his proposal, the theater shut down and the shows were cancelled. However, Jonathan wasn't letting that keep him from asking his future bride to spend the rest of his life with him. Instead, Jonathan convinced Taylor to dress up so they could grab a bite to eat and return their tickets to the theater. (*Sigh* What a relief that she went along with the plan). The theater looked abandoned, but honestly, it helped me make sure I got the proposal without pushing random people out of my way.



The Proposal


I remember the day was cold and I was so nervous and excited. I love watching proposals on TV so I was beyond ecstatic to be in the bushes for this moment. I met Jonathan a day before to plan out exactly where he would be standing. This is KEY to making sure you have a good shot. Although, I was prepared to move around incase Jonathan was too nervous to remember. As they walked to the theater, Taylor noticed her mom, step-dad and sister were sitting on a bench. She was so excited to see them but still had NO idea what was about to happen. Then Jonathan dropped to one knee and...well you can see above that she was shocked and overjoyed.

Mini Session


I can't get over Taylor's reaction. It was priceless. She didn't even notice me until a few minutes after Jonathan put on the ring. Honestly, I wouldn't have either. After they both got over the shock of the moment we grabbed their first engagement photos. I have to say that I didn't have to ask either of them to smile the whole session because their grins were beaming. Did I mention how much I love taking photos of amazing couples?

The Adventure Continues


I'm happy to say that Jonathan and Taylor booked me as their photographer for their wedding day. How cool is it to be a part of the WHOLE journey?! I can't wait to share with you about their engagement photos and wedding day.