How many women dream of a romantic, surprise engagement? That moment when the love of her life suddenly and unexpectedly gets down on one knee, looks into her eyes and says, “Will you marry me?” The moment becomes a cherished memory to be told and retold as youth fades into the golden years. But as years go by, details of that moment can fade. How nice wouldn’t it be to capture those special moments in images that will not fade over time?
As a photographer, one of the most exciting things I have captured was a recent surprise engagement. I made arrangements with the groom as to location and time and got there an hour early to be sure I would have my settings correct and was well prepared when they arrived. We met at a beautiful secluded beach on the North Shore of Long Island. We had texted and I had exchanged photos so we would know who to look for.
I was sitting discreetly on a bench as they walked by me. A lovely couple, nicely dressed for the dinner they had planned after their glass of wine on the beach. I watched from a distance as they set down their blanket, broke out the glasses, opened the bottle of wine, and sat and watched as the small gentle waves hit the shore. I waited and watched, and moved a bit closer. I waited….and waited…and waited…
I was getting nervous that the future bride was getting suspicious about this woman who kept hovering nearby— camera around her neck. I took photos of the beach, I looked out a t the sky, took photos of the sand at my feet, all the while looking out of the side of my eye at what they were doing. I continued to wait. Internally I am beginning to feel a little bit of panic. He is taking sooo long to propose. I start to wonder if he has lost his nerve…is she getting suspicious?
I confided in a woman whose family was in the water near by why I was there. Could I take her photo to make it look like I was there with them? She kindly posed for me with her husband and dog as the kids played in the water. We struck up a conversation and were enjoying sharing our secret when she suddenly said to me, “ He got down on one knee!” He finally did it, and I almost missed it!
