Julie & Steven

Julie & Steven

I recently photographed a session for a lovely couple, Julie & Steven, in their Apex neighborhood. It was originally supposed to be a session for the couple and their dog, Miles. Then, Steven emailed me to let me know that he was going to propose during our session. Well, that changed everything!

Given that Julie wanted to shoot in their yard, near some old rustic structures on the edge of their development, and near the neighborhood pond, I knew that it would take some coordination to find the best spot for the proposal. So, when Steven and I chatted on the phone, we came up with a game plan. I figured that the pond would be the most scenic place to shoot the proposal. So, that would need to be our last location. (Since he couldn’t pull off carrying a giant ring box in his back pocket for a long time!) It made sense to photograph at the house first so that we could get the photos with Miles done early. My original plan was to go to the old rustic structures next, but after taking a passing look at the pond, I wanted to scout that out to find the best place for the proposal. I found just the right spot after taking a look around with my assistant and I was able to grab a quick shot of Julie and Steven there before heading over to the rustic buildings.

After shooting at the old buildings, the plan was for Steven to run back to the house quickly to grab a bottle of water – and the ring. While they were doing that, my assistant and I raced over to the pond carrying a smaller amount of gear than usual because the path around the pond was not terribly passable for a cart of gear. We went back to the spot that we had found earlier, set up a small light, and were ready to rock and roll. Steven and Julie were not far behind us. I set up a shot where Steven would kiss Julie’s hand. This was to be the shot that immediately preceded the proposal shot, aka, the money shot. Steven and I had agreed that I would say, “Ok, this is the money shot!” and that would be his cue to get down on one knee. Julie was thrilled and completely surprised. Her reaction was priceless and the whole moment was precious. And, I’m really glad that I took the time to scout the pond ahead of time because it decreased the likelihood that Julie was going to see the ring box in Steven’s back pocket, as you will see in some of the photos below! It was important to Steven to have the ring in the box when he proposed, and there was just no good way to disguise that thing! 😁 Congrats, Julie & Steven!