proposal

Brett had the perfect plan to surprise Jenna… and it started with breaking a few rules!

Jenna was nervous as Brett led her through the gates of Gramercy Park—a place you can only enter if you have a key. But Brett? He had something else up his sleeve. As they ‘sneaked’ in, Jenna’s face was priceless. You could just tell she was not on board for sneaking in, but did it anyway for her Brett…

Little did she know, Brett had this entire thing planned! When he dropped to one knee, Jenna’s worry instantly melted into pure joy. Her hand flew to her mouth in total shock, and suddenly nothing else mattered.

The way she looked at him? You could feel the love. This was more than just a proposal—it was a moment where they threw caution to the wind and embraced a future full of love, laughter, and maybe just a little bit of rule-breaking.

Brett and Jenna, I could not be happier for you!!! Cheers to this incredible season in your lives!!

Capturing moments like these, where love surprises even the most careful hearts, is why I love what I do.

So you did it, you found the woman of your dreams. You are totally and completely in love and you cannot wait to spend the rest of your life with this amazing woman… Now, all you have to do is ask her… but how?

Proposal season is upon us and the love of your life deserves nothing less than the best.  For most of you, this will be the first and only time you pop the question and you might not even know where to begin! But don’t you worry, I am here to help! Follow these 10 easy steps and you will have the girl of your dreams wrapped around you crying tears of joy before you know it!

1.  The Ring: 

   Now this first step is one of the most important steps, once you get the ring, the rest will fall into place. There are a few ways to go about to make sure you are getting the woman of your dreams the ring of her dreams…
   (A) Go shopping together. Some people LOVE this option. I mean, one of the biggest parts about a successful marriage is being a team and working together, so why wouldn’t you want to share this experience with one another.
   (B) Get the Hint…. if she is the kind of woman who does not beat around the bush and has been sending you links, photos and pinterest boards for the last 18 months, you are one lucky man, you already know exactly what she wants…
   (C) Consult her bestie.  Let’s face it, women talk, this isn’t news… and what do you think one of the things we talk about when we are in a serious relationship, the engagement ring. Meet the future-maid-of-honor for some coffee, ask her to share the ring intel and get as much detail as possible. Her best-friend will be ALMOST as excited as you are…almost.

2. Ask her Parent’s for her hand in marriage: 

   I know what you are thinking,  how old fashioned… But let me fill you in on a little secret, this small gesture will mean the world to them and to your future wife. It will make her parents feel like they are a part of the celebration and why not keep your mother-in-law and father-in-law happy from the beginning. This will set the stage of your relationship with your in-laws for years to come!

   

3. Pick a location: 

   It can be as simple or as lavish as you want it to be. Just remember, you know your girl the best, you know what means the most to her and what would make her happy. It can be right in front of her favorite taco stand that she took you to on one of your first dates, or in the middle of the park that you guys walk your dog in every day or even on top of the ferris-wheel. It can be in your apartment or at a fancy restaurant. At a carnival or on vacation. Don’t over think it,  wherever you ask her, she will love it because it is your love story and you are making her dreams come true.

   

4. Choose a gesture:

   Now that you have the location, it is time to figure out how, how are you going to make this moment special, how are you going to set it up and how are you going to ask her. Are you going to send her on a scavenger hunt? Surprise her from out of town? Whisk her off to a romantic city? Once you get her to the location, are you going to get down on one knee, have her nieces and nephews surround her, show her a montage of your relationship? Before you pick the gesture, you should know, that most proposals are done in private, contrary to what Hollywood portrays. Consider who she is when deciding how big or how small the gesture should be! Your proposal story will be told hundreds of times, it might even be your grandkids favorite bedtime story, so make sure that whatever gesture you choose, it is consistent with who you are a couple.

   

5. Consult a photographer!

   This is it, it is the moment you both have been waiting for. The moment that will change your life forever. You are asking your best friend to be with you from now until forever, how special would it be to have this moment captured? To have this memory frozen forever. To have photos that will keep this moment and these feelings alive!

   

6. Create a Master Plan:

   Now that you have the ring, the location, the gesture and the photographer, it is time to put it all together and create a master plan. You have worked hard to prepare for your big moment, winging your wedding proposal is not an option. Talk to all the necessary people to ensure that this moment goes off as well as possible. Consult the photographer about lighting and timing, even do a walk through of the location to make sure you know exactly where you are going, where she will be standing and how you will be kneeling. Consider traffic, late reservations, delays, and anything else that might create any issues. This way, you will be prepared and as ready as possible.

7. Have a Plan B:

   It is never a bad idea to have a Plan B. You never know what is going to happen. You never know if it will start pouring 5 minutes before your candle lit balcony proposal or the restaurant sits you at the wrong table or even there is a pop up beer garden at your favorite park, therefore, come up with a simple Plan B that is easy to pivot too.  This way, you won’t add too much stress if something goes wrong.

   

8. Rehearse:

   These words, this question, the look in her eyes as she listens to you, is going t be a moment that will be cherished forever (no pressure)! I don’t know about all of you, but when I get nervous, I start rambling on and on and
   usually end up not making any sense… practice what you are going to say, rehearse taking the ring out of your jacket or pants pocket and getting down on one knee. It will make your proposal go that much smoother and make you feel like you are the most romantic man that has ever been.

   

9. Get her there: 

   Sometimes, getting her there can be tricky, so you have to get creative.  Make sure you know exactly how you are going to convince her to get there and consult everyone who will help you get there. I know, you are never supposed to lie to the woman you are going to marry (or to anyone in general), but let’s be real, this might be the ONLY time it is ok to tell her a small fib… She will forgive you for lying about your reservation being 20 minutes earlier or that you have to stay late at the office for a work thing. She will forgive you for not being able to meet her and her sister for brunch if that is all part of the grand proposal plan.

   

10. Ask her: 

    And finally, the most important thing… ask her to marry you. It will be the happiest moment of her life thus far and you will be the luckiest man on earth. It is as simple as that.

Ok… so what are you waiting for! Go get that ring, talk to her parents and consult her best friends! Go tell her how much you love her, how much you cannot wait to grow old together and how you will never want to wake up without her by your side.

The moment I spoke to Nick on the phone, I could tell he was smiling and genuinely thrilled to be talking about the love of his life, Amanda. He could not wait to propose to his girlfriend of 6 years. He could not wait to see her face as he got down on one knee and asked her to be his partner for life. He could not wait to call Amanda his fiance.

Nick is one of the sweetest, most detail oriented men I know. Even from our first conversation, I knew that he genuinely cares about people and just wants everyone to be happy. The way he described Amanda made my heart full. He loved her with every fiber of his being and they were going to have a happily ever after, I just know it!

A few weeks before the big day, I met up with Nick and one of his closest friends at Spruce Street Park so we can choose the best location for Nick to pop the question. As we walked, we talked about life, his family, Amanda’s family and his big plan!

Nick had everything figured out. He was going to take Amanda to this great restaurant right next to Spruce Street Park. After dinner, he would suggest a nice, little stroll and BAM! That is when the magic would happen…

At exactly 7:45pm, I watched as Nick and Amanda walked out of the restaurant, hand in hand, and towards me. I got into position, camera up and my finger ready to fire the shutter. That is when it hit me, Amanda seriously had no idea, I mean absolutely no idea that he was about to ask her one of the most important questions of his life. She was just minding her own business, walking with her boyfriend, admiring the beautiful night when all the sudden he stops and starts talking. She looks at him “OH MY GOD!” he gets down on one knee “OH MY GOD! NO WAY!” he pulls out the box “OH MY GOD! STOP!” Her expression was a beautiful combination of complete, total shock and intangible, unconditional love. It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever seen.

Once the moment was over, I ran up to them, wished them a congratulations and had the chance to chat with Amanda. She was exactly how Nick described her. Sweet, beautiful, caring and totally lovable. As I captured a few more photos of them around Spruce Street, I had the chance to watch the love flow from one another and I cannot even express how lucky I feel to have witnessed this incredible moment.

Nick, Amanda, I wish you the best engagement and the happiest marriage. Love and laughter till 150 years old!

I was sitting in Starbucks, catching up on some emails and waiting for Robert to get out of his law class. It was date night and I couldn’t wait to get to our favorite place, Ponzio’s.  As I was finishing up my last email, I got a phone call. “Hello, my name is Advait and I am looking to propose to my girlfriend in March. I live in Texas and she lives in Philadelphia.” At this point, my heart smiled and I knew I couldn’t wait to photograph his proposal. Robert and I were long distance for the first year of our relationship and capturing another long distance relationship promise to spend the rest of their lives together is something that is very near and dear to my heart. I loved everything Advait was saying, from how he got the ring, to where he was envisioning popping the question, to how he was going to get his girlfriend to the chosen location. We hung up the phone after 20 minutes and I could not wait to tell Robert all about it!

Advait and I were in constant contact over the next few weeks. His attention to detail was truly amazing. I can’t tell you how touching it is to watch a man put so much thought and care into his proposal. He wanted everything to be perfect and I could not agree with him more.

Fast forward a few weeks- Senia, my second shooter for the day, and I were walking toward the Orchid Extravaganza at Longwood Garden’s. I had to keep myself from skipping all the way to the Orchids…that’s how excited I was. After weeks of planning I just couldn’t wait for Advait and Abhilasha’s big moment!

Once Senia and I got there, I realized one thing. There were a lot more people around than expected.  I even dragged my dear friend Sydney to scout it out the week before and it was significantly busier this week than last. My first thought was, we need to switch locations. Staying calm, cool and collected, I contacted Advait and explained the situation. He snuck away from his beautiful girlfriend and called me to chat. I really felt like a ninja. We made the final decision to move the proposal to right out front of the Orchid exhibit and I am so glad we did!

He saw me out of the corner of his eye and he knew he was in the right place. I sighed feeling relieved. The relief quickly turned into joy and I could not stop myself from smiling behind my camera.  He was doing it, he was really doing it! After all the energy Advait had put in to making this an incredible moment for the woman he loved, he was really doing it!  As he got down on one knee, Abhilasha’s expression was extreme shock and pure joy all mixed into one. It was one of the sweetest expressions I have ever seen. You could tell that she had been dreaming about their life together. You could tell that all she wants is to spend the rest of her life with the man right in front of her.

Thank you Advait and Abhilasha for letting me be a part of such an important moment. Cheers to always looking at each other with sweet expressions, love and joy : )

“I’ve been giving her toy rings for the last 10 days” Adam said with a smirk. All I could do is laugh, I could not even imagine what I would do if my boyfriend gave me toy rings when I was ready for the real one. Adam had it all figured out, he was going to mess around with Nicole all the way up until New Years Eve morning. Then, as they walk casually to dinner through Rittenhouse Square, Adam would get down on one knee and ask Nicole to spend the rest of her life with him. His plan was thoughtful, unique and fun. Let me tell you guys, nothing beat the look on Nicole’s face when she finally got her diamond ring. Complete and total joy.

Adam and I met up the day before, we planned it all out. Where I was going to stand, where he was going to propose, which way Nicole was going to be facing and where Robert, my second shooter for the day, was going to be standing. We even spent our time, watching as the sunset and the lights turned on, picking the perfect time for Adam to propose.

Adam and Nicole are what I consider one amazing couple. You could tell from just looking at them that their house is never boring, they are always laughing, messing around and having a great time. You could feel the love, happiness and respect is between them from a mile away.

Witnessing their proposal warmed my heart on so many levels. Adam and Nicole’s excitement made me giddy for the rest of the day.  Once we took a few engagement photos, we all went to grab a cup of coffee from La Colombe. Nicole pulled me aside and showed me a toy ring she bought Adam. Those two are meant to be.