On this very chilly Tuesday I wanted to share with you all an equally chilling experience I had this past month. For the very first time I got to photograph a proposal as it happened!! It was such a neat experience; I may have squealed a little bit. Andrew reached out to me and told me his story of how he wanted to fly his girlfriend, Rachel, to Maine (yes, he’s a pilot of his own, little plane….how awesome!) and that he wanted to propose on the coast, and he asked me if there was a good place maybe with a lighthouse. Of course, I didn’t have to think twice when I told him, “Portland Headlight, of course!” He was already flying his plane into Portland, so a drive over to Cape Elizabeth seemed the most logical.
So, you may be thinking, “well, wouldn’t she be suspicious that her boyfriend just wants to randomly fly her to Maine for the day? Does’t that seem weird?” Nope! Not at all and that’s why Andrew and I knew that this would work. He explained to me that it wasn’t uncommon for them to just take day trips to fun places, so this was not going to be out of the ordinary for Rachel. She just thought she was going on a fun afternoon, scenic flight of coastal Maine. Little did she know…..
And course, because this was a surprise, she wasn’t exactly dressed for a portrait shoot. Neither of us were. It was freezing for petes’s sake!! But she was a trooper and I think was so excited by what had just transpired that nobody cared that they were in winter hats and had bad hair.
So, like I said, this was a carefully executed plan that Rachel had no idea about. I was to meet up with them at the lighthouse and just…..well…find them! Andrew and I told each other what we were wearing so that we could keep an eye out for each other. And when we finally spotted one another, it was go time!
While I waited for them to arrive, I milled about the area for a bit, snapping shots of the chilly, coastal day. There is something very mysterious about the coast in the winter that I just love.
And I’ve found them….and we’re off! Walking…….
…..and we’re walking…..
Ooops! Look away! Pretend you’re a tourist and take pictures of…..touristy things. ;-)
Oh my gosh, it’s happening! Quick, get ready! I think she said YES!
She said YES! This shot was probably a combo of sheer giddiness and Rachel freezing her bum off. I think she was pretty happy.
So happy.
Then it was off to the Old Port to warm up with a hot beverage!
Congratulations, Rachel and Andrew! It was such an honor to be able to capture this moment for you both.
This last one was so cute and I just wanted to share it. Andrew took it in the plane on their way back and then sent it to me when they got home. What was so funny about this was that he told me they were on such a time schedule to get off the ground and back to Massachusetts that Rachel didn’t have any time to start calling people and tell them what had just happened. Once they were in pre-flight mode, it was a no-go on cell phone use! So she had to sit tight and be patient the whole flight back, not being able to tell anyone. For what little time I got to know her, I’m sure this must have been torture. However, I can only imagine what an amazing and peaceful flight back that must have been for the two of them. It’s certainly not a flight I’m sure she’ll ever forget.
