Kaila + Ryan | Pulpit Rock Surprise Proposal | Pennsylvania Wedding Photographer
Last week, Ryan reached out to me looking for a photographer to capture his upcoming proposal to his long time girlfriend (and best friend) Kaila. After an uncanny chain of events, we were able to book it and the date was set for the following weekend. Over the course of the week, we chatted back and forth a few times, solidifying the plan. I could tell how excited Ryan was, and I was so excited to be able to be a part of this special moment in their lives.
The plan was that we were going to hike the Pulpit Rock section of the Appalachian Trail and would meet at the overlook. I would pretend to be taking portraits for a personal project and would ask them to pose for me, eventually having Kaila stand alone, looking out towards the overlook. Meanwhile, Ryan would get the engagement ring out of his backpack, would quickly drop to one knee, and would propose when Kaila turned around.
Well, today was the day! They ended up arriving at the overlook shortly before I did, because Ryan couldn’t convince Kaila to postpone the hike any longer - so they got a little bit of a head start. (She actually tried to talk Ryan out of hiking a few times earlier in the day, but luckily he persevered!!) Ryan, Kaila, and their 3 year old German Shepard Hutch were waiting at Pulpit Rock when I arrived, and were sitting on one of the boulders enjoying the view. I saw another group of hikers there with a dog, so I pretended to be capturing photos of dogs (and their humans) along the hiking trail. After taking a few photos with that group, I moved on to Kaila, Ryan, and Hutch. I gave them the same story about capturing images of dogs along the trail, and they happily obliged! Eventually, I asked Kaila to turn around and face the overlook, and to pose with her arms spread out while she took in the incredible view. Ryan quickly got into position, and my husband was with me and freed up Ryan’s hands by holding onto Hutch. (The last thing I wanted was for Hutch to tackle Ryan or Kaila along the edge of Pulpit Rock!!) I asked Kaila to turn around, and she quickly began to realize what was happening. Spoiler alert - SHE SAID YES!!!
After letting them have a few moments to themselves to take it all in, we hiked back down the trail together and I captured a few more images along the way.
I loved being a part of this adventure, and I love the emotion that Kaila and Ryan shared with each other in these moments. Kaila, Ryan, and Hutch - it was an honor creating these memories with you. Congratulations, and happy wedding planning!!!
Kait + Ruki | Biltmore Estate Surprise Proposal | Asheville, North Carolina Wedding Photographer
Are you looking for a heartwarming story during this crazy time? If so, keep reading - you won’t be disappointed!
A few months ago, Kaitlin mentioned to Haruki (who happens to be my brother-in-law) that it would be great if I came down this summer to update their family portraits. (Ruki has two children from a previous marriage, and they adore Kait with all their hearts!) Ruki agreed, and the gears were instantly set into motion for the most amazing surprise proposal. Ruki figured that Kait would have no idea this was being planned, as she was the one who initiated it all. (And he wasn’t wrong!) Ruki reached out to me again once he asked Kait’s parents for their permission to propose to their daughter, and after he acquired the perfect ring to symbolize his love for Kait. This was all going to take place at their favorite spot in Asheville, the Biltmore Estate. We picked a date, and it was all set! Or so we thought…
Covid stuck around a bit longer than expected, public venues were closing, and travel was becoming more difficult. At the same time, my husband received notice that he was selected for jury duty during the same time as our planned visit. On top of that, hurricane season was upon us. We started to question if this might happen the way we had planned. As the date approached, the Biltmore Estate was allowing visitors again, and jury duty was postponed. And, it looked like the most recent hurricane was going to miss us. Throughout all of this, Ruki had arranged for Kait’s parents to visit at the same time, to surprise Kait and share this special day with them. They arrived the night before the photoshoot was planned, and were secretly staying in a neighbor’s guest house. Everything was officially set.
However, Mother Nature decided to throw one last curveball our way. We had originally planned for a sunset photoshoot, but the forecast showed thunderstorms all afternoon. So, the night before, we quickly rearranged things and aimed for a morning session instead. If the weather apps were correct, we had about a 2-hour window of no rain after the Biltmore opened for the day. We had to make it work one way or the other. There would be no rescheduling. Rain or shine, this was happening the next morning!
The day of the shoot had arrived. Kait’s parents got to Biltmore a few minutes before we did, and hid out of Kait’s view. We arrived shortly after and walked to Ruki and Kait’s favorite spot, which provides the most amazing view of the mansion. We got everyone into place, and our “family photoshoot” began. After I snapped a few portraits of the four of them, Ruki took the ring box out of his back pocket and dropped to one knee. Kait’s look of surprise as she started realizing what was happening was so amazing to witness. I am getting goosebumps again just thinking about it! Ruki asked her to marry him, and of course SHE SAID YES!!! The kids were excited as well! (They were actually in on the secret and didn’t spill the beans!) Her tears of joy, surprise, and LOVE were flowing!
As Kait started walking up the hill, she spotted her parents approaching from a distance. She recognized them immediately, and the tears arrived all over again. Kait and her parents hadn’t seen each other since November, and it meant so much to her to have them there. We had brought Ruki’s mom with us, so she was there as well. Their presence made this day even more perfect. (Great job, Ruki!)
After Kait’s mascara was fixed and everyone’s adrenaline settled a bit, we continued with our photoshoot. The rain arrived a little earlier than we had expected, but it didn’t even matter. We kept on photographing through it all. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect day - not even a torrential downpour. (We took a break during the heaviest rain and rewarded ourselves with some incredible Biltmore ice cream!)
I’m so happy for Kait and Ruki, and I’m honored that I was able to capture these moments for them. Most of all, I’m glad that they each found their perfect person. They deserve all the happiness in the world! This was the best surprise-proposal-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-and-hurricane ever! Congratulations again, Kait and Ruki. And welcome to the family (officially), Kait! Big thanks to my daughters and husband for their help throughout all of this. Fun fact: This proposal took place on Kait’s parents’ 47th wedding anniversary - and on their wedding day, it rained right after the ceremony and portraits took place, just like today!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together. Grab some tissues!
She Said Yes! | Outer Banks, NC Proposal | Destination Engagement and Wedding Photographer
I met Victoria and Dmitriy this past snowboard season at a race at Roundtop Mountain Resort, in Harrisburg, PA. We hung out a few times throughout the season, and were fortunate enough to end the season together at USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain, in Colorado.
A few weeks ago, Victoria and Dmitriy reached out to me to set up a photoshoot while I was going to be spending some time in the Outer Banks. Victoria was hoping for a couple's session, but Dmitriy had other plans. He had been waiting for the perfect time to surprise Victoria with a proposal (and a stunning engagement ring)! The ring was already purchased and was just waiting for the rest of the plans to fall into place.
When they arrived in North Carolina, we met up at my rental house in Waves. While Victoria was distracted, Dmitriy passed off some champagne and glasses to my husband, so we could bring them to the photoshoot the next day without Victoria suspecting anything.
If you live anywhere along the east coast, you know how rainy it has been the last few weeks. The day of their photoshoot was no exception. The forecast looked promising all day - the rain was supposed to clear out around noon, and our evening photoshoot looked like it would go off without a hitch. Well, as soon as we arrived at our intended location, Mother Nature decided to defy the weather forecasting technology, and the rain started falling. We decided to wait it out, because the radar showed that the weather would clear up again in about 30 minutes. 30 minutes later, another rain cloud formed, and there were more following behind it. So, we decided to get back on the road and drive south until we found a dry location. I was looking forward to this photoshoot for weeks, and was determined to hold their session that night!
We eventually found a non-flooded place near Rodanthe to pull off the side of the road and park. I ran up to the adjacent beach area and scouted the location, and it was incredible! There was only one other couple in sight, and the skies and dunes were picture-perfect.
So, my husband grabbed the bag with the champagne and glasses, I grabbed my camera gear, and the rest is history. You can see how the session unfolded for yourself right here...
(Big thanks to my husband for helping, and to my daughter and dog for helping distract Victoria while Dmitriy was getting ready to propose!)