Summer&Robert: Surprise Proposal.

Summer and I have been friends since Kindergarten. So as you can see, we go WAAAAAY back. It seems like knowing each other that long, we have been a part of almost every important event in each others lives...birthday parties, first days of school, first loves, graduations...we've been through it all. This is why I was thrilled when her boyfriend, Robert, approached me and asked me to play a big part in their engagement. Photographing the proposal. At first I thought he meant secret agent style...hiding behind dumpsters, blending in with crowds and using a long lens to try to document the whole thing in secret from a distance. When I realized he meant setting up a photoshoot and he would propose during it...my thrill went to a whole new level. I would have control over so many more elements and knew I would be able to make things go just the way he had wanted.
I first mentioned it to her by casually suggesting that her and Robert model for some "new methods" I wanted to test out. She had no suspicions whatsoever because this was not their first time in front of my lens, they were actually the first couple I ever photographed!! We set up a day and as it got nearer and nearer I got more and more anxious. I wanted everything to go perfect! On the day of, I called up my friend and fellow photographer Jessica Mariano for a few suggestions. She did an AMAZING job of styling this session, including making the hair piece Summer is wearing, helping me pick out the outfit and loaning me the awesome bench. Thanks Jessica!!! My explanation to Summer for all of the work I was putting into a "practice shoot"? It was because I wanted to use these photos for my website if they turned out good, so I had to go big...duh :P
We arrived at the dry lake bed at about 6:30 and I was so nervous, you would think I was the one asking her to marry me! After shooting at the dry lake bed for a group session with some awesome photogs a couple weeks back(blog post to come!) I knew it was the perfect fit for their style.

And now I will let the photos tell the rest of their exciting story :)...





One of the last photos taken of her with a bare ring finger!!


When I felt the time was right, I wanted to check to make sure Robert was ready. To buy some time, I sent her wayyyyyy out in the middle of the lake bed to take some "awesome" shots of her spinning around in the big empty space. I had her pretty convinced that these were going to be epic. Little did she know these are the shots I was getting lol....However it was just enough time to confirm that Robert was ready.


I set the moment up with a silly shot of him giving her a flower, just as me and Robert had planned...


To give him time to pull the ring out and place it on the flower I had her turn her back to him and act like she was dissing him...Ha! I believe my specific words were "now roll your eyes like pshhhh I don't want your flower" lol.


What a surprise it was when I told her to turn around and look down at the flower...


"Will you marry me?"
"YES!"
:)




She was so excited, and COMPLETELY surprised.




Can you see the excitement? :)


After the initial shock and excitement had passed, we grabbed a few more shots before heading out to go celebrate.






Congratulations guys, I am so excited for you! Can't wait to balance being a bridesmaid, helping plan out all the details AND doing some of the photography. It's going to be an adventure :)