Last Monday, I met Mikaela at the James River Marina in Newport News to scope out a location for something very exciting for both of us – a proposal! She was going to propose to her girlfriend Stephanie of two years, and I was going to be documenting it for them. We ironed out some of the little details and two days later it was the big day!

She was excited and nervous for obvious reasons – it’s kind of a big deal. I was nervous and excited because I was finally asked to shoot a proposal. It was a perfect day for the occasion. Sunny, with big puffy clouds and not too warm or too cool. Mikaela had arrived early, spread rose petals at the end of the dock, and had music playing. She had sent Stephanie on a scavenger hunt spanning the whole day, leading up to the marina, which is a special place for the two of them. There was really no where for me to hide that wouldn’t require 1 $20,000 lens for me to see what was happening so I just hung out on the edge of the dock by a boat and “read” a book. When Stephanie arrived, she had a box and a letter to read so that gave Mikaela the time to sneak up while she read without being detected.

The rest sort of speaks for itself. It was really lovely, and she said yes!

Stephanie also had her nails done earlier that day, so her hands were already looking fabulous for photos!

Isn’t this ring a stunner? It’s laying on top of a book that Mikaela had made for Stephanie as well decorated with photos of them. Such an awesome personal touch.