Traverse City Winter Proposal | James + Chelsea

"Chelsea loves the Traverse City area. We like the outdoor and eating good food. I think that is what our weekend up there is going to be like and I would love to fit the perfect proposal in there as we do all the things we love."

James reached out to us with his plans to propose to his girlfriend Chelsea during a weekend visit to Traverse City. We set up a phone call to discuss the details and location for the proposal. When the day came, we bundled up and waited (with our cameras hidden under our winter coats) for James and Chelsea to arrive at the Marina. James knelt down on one knee and that was our cue to whip our cameras out to document the moment when Chelsea said yes.

We wandered around the marina to capture a few portraits of the two of them, while Chelsea admired her new ring and the two of them shared the happiest smiles and laughter.

We are always honored to photograph proposals--the beginning of the rest of their lives together. Congratulations James and Chelsea!

Winter Proposal | Dilon + Stephanie | Tandem Ciders

It was a beautifully snowy day shortly after Christmas when we took the trip out to Tandem Ciders to photograph Dilon and Stephanie's surprise winter proposal. Thankfully, it was pretty easy to hide our cameras under our bulky winter coats so Stephanie wouldn't be clued into what was about to happen. As she made her way back to their picnic table area with their drinks, Dilon got down on one knee and we whipped our cameras out to photograph the moment and her reaction. Through happy tears, Stephanie said yes and Dilon slipped her new engagement ring onto her finger. They took a few moments to sip their drinks and revel in the excitement before the rest of their 'mini' engagement session. Congratulations to Dilon and Stephanie! It was such an honor to be a part of such a happy moment in your lives. Thanks for trusting us to document it.

Mackinac Island Proposal | Michael + Caitlin

We were so excited to learn that Michael's surprise Mackinac Island proposal would almost perfectly coordinate with our trip to Mackinaw City for a wedding a few days prior. After we finalized some details with Michael, we decided to plan on staying a few extra days after the wedding so we could be there for Michael and Caitlin's special moment. It was the most perfect day and lovely ferry ride to the island. We had blue sky and lilacs blooming all around the island. We arrived quite a bit early in order to soak in the beauty of the island ourselves, and to scout out the ideal position for the actual proposal. We sneakily texted with Michael all throughout the day and sent him some photos and videos on how to access the spot. And then.. we waited. Lots of people passed through the small garden that afternoon, but thankfully Michael had sent us a couple photos of him and Caitlin so we knew exactly who to look for. When they finally came around the corner of the garden, Miles and I walked around and posed as a normal couple enjoying the garden. We secretly kept a close eye on Michael and Caitlin as they chatted and when he finally dropped to one knee, we immediately started photographing them from a distance. We let them enjoy that moment and soak it all in until Michael finally pointed us out to Caitlin and introduced us. From there we made our way around the island for a mini engagement shoot and wrapped up just before their planned dinner at the Grand Hotel.

It was such an honor to be entrusted with capturing such a special moment. Congratulations to Michael and Caitlin once again! We wish them all the best!

Traverse City Proposal | Tommy + Caroline

Photographing this Traverse City proposal was the sweetest adventure, from start to finish. Caroline's sister Madyson reached out originally. She was so supportive and excited for her sister and future brother-in-law. She coordinated a video chat for us to 'meet' with Tommy and chat about the details of the proposal. We discussed his plans for the moment and how he wanted to celebrate with a surprise picnic afterward. Caroline didn't know who we were or what we looked like so we decided to hide in plain sight, disguised as normal hikers enjoying the view from the bridge. Tommy had sent a photo of the two of them so when we noticed them making their way to the bridge where we were, we knew it was about to happen. They talked for a few minutes a ways away from us but as soon as Tommy reached into his pocket for the ring, we turned around with our cameras to capture the moment and Caroline's reaction. These two were the absolute cutest. There was so much tears and laughter as she said yes and tried on her ring for the first time. Tommy pointed us out across the bridge because Caroline hadn't even noticed us in the midst of it all. That was our goal! After wiping some tears from each other's cheeks, Tommy led Caroline to her next surprise, a gorgeous picnic for two set up by the creek. The kicked off the picnic with a champagne pop and we left to allow them to celebrate together. Congratulations Tommy and Caroline. Thank you for inviting us into such a special occasion and trusting us to capture it.

Picnic Set up by Traverse City Picnic Co.

Adam and Kelly Proposal

Adam and Kelly

Adam and Kelly have the sweetest love story, and we just love them together. This shoot will always and forever hold a dear place in our heart. Adam is my (Sarah's) younger brother and Miles' best friend. We got to know Kelly while they were dating and she quickly became one of my best friends. When Adam reached out with his plans to propose, we were over the moon. The week leading up to the proposal, Miles and Adam trekked down the steep snowy slope to scout out the location. Together they found the perfect spot for Adam and Kelly as well as hidden locations for us to shoot the proposal in stealth.

Brown Bridge

The day came and we arrived to the location early. The snow had slightly melted and then refroze so the path down was more like an ice skating rink. I'm embarrassed to say that I (Sarah) had a wipe out on the way down and nailed my head on a tree root when I fell. However, nothing was going to stop me from capturing and celebrating this moment with my brother and his soon-to-be fiancée. Miles helped me back up, brushed the snow off and we continued to our respective hiding spots. We sat and waited, fingers going slightly numb in the cold and butts most definitely soaked through from sitting in the snow. Still, all of that was hardly noticeable to us in the wake our anticipation. After a little while, we heard a loud 'careful Kelly, it's slippery!' from Adam. That was our cue!

The Proposal

At the bottom of the hill, Adam took her by the hand and they looked out at the view while he chatted with her briefly. By the time he got down on his knee with the ring, I was already a mess of silent tears. We remained hidden the entire time so they could have their moment alone. Kelly had no idea that we were there, and even when Adam pointed out the spots we were hidden, they could only just see the edge of my boot from behind a tree. It wasn't until they continued on their hike and were well out of sight that we emerged and went on our way. We were able to celebrate them later which was so fun. It was so special to capture this proposal for some of our favorite people. We also both had the honor of standing in their wedding last October. We love Adam and Kelly!

Location | Brown Bridge