I had the time of my life photographing this surprise proposal for two of my dear friends in January! This beautiful proposal took place at one of my favorite venues in Oregon – Saint Irenes! The venue staff were so accommodating to us when we had to suddenly switch from a sudden outdoor proposal plan to something indoors due to the rain.

How we planned the surprise proposal!

Josh wanted his proposal to Emalee to be 100% a surprise, which was by far the most challenging aspect of planning. Normally I am able to pull a fast one on a couple with an already-planned photoshoot turned surprise proposal. However, in this case we had to do a bit of brainstorming!

Emalee and I are friends so it all started with a vague “want to get coffee” text sent. Originally, we were supposed to meet up for coffee the week before the proposal actually happened. That’s when we were hit with a horrible ice storm. I sent a text to Emalee to reschedule our coffee date to the following Sunday, but she told me she had a hair appointment and a baby shower on her calendar. Cue panic!

The next phase in the plan was to figure out who does her hair. I suggested to have Josh call them and get them in on the ruse, and have them cancel on her. We were able to make that happen, and suddenly Emalee was free again to hang out! I was so worried that she was going to be suspicious when I picked her up, but she wasn’t at all. I told her vaguely of this spot in Tualatin that I loved getting coffee at, and we drove to Saint Irenes. Although their coffee shop is no longer open, the sign is still up, which helped with the ruse! When she walked through that front door she was shocked!

I was so happy to be a part of this special moment and applaud Josh for his creativity in planning a romantic and special day. It started off with this surprise proposal and ended with an even bigger surprise – all of their closest friends and family waiting for them at a brewery in Beaverton. I brought my camera along with me to document some of the happy tears- and then joined in on the celebration.

What’s Next??

Stay tuned this summer when I get to take their engagement photos in Florence, Italy! I’m counting down the days.

Want to get in touch with me for your own surprise proposal photos? Contact me here!