There are so many exciting parts of my job, but one really exciting thing is the proposal. It’s the moment where the relationship shifts to forever. Often, the person proposing will go to great lengths to make the moment something special and to keep it secret. I love being part of all of that. I was so pumped when DJ asked me to help capture his proposal at Tanyard Creek in Bella Vista.
The most time and energy in a proposal comes in planning. You have to figure out all the crucial details and make sure everyone is on the same page. The date is the first big step, making sure everyone involved is available on that date. The next step is the location. You have to find a location that fits with what you are looking for as far as the atmosphere and also doesn’t have any major issues like too many people. Then, the last part is how are you going to get the person to that spot without them being suspicious. I’ve got a whole giant blog about all of this, but we aren’t going to get into that for today.
After talking with DJ, we decided on using the waterfall at Tanyard Creek in Bella Vista. I’ve been there a ton of times, so I knew what to expect. The biggest issue in my mind was dealing with other people being there. It was a nice day, and people tend to hang out there on those types of days.
I met DJ at the parking lot and we walked and talked about the whole thing. A friend was with her and she thought they were coming to do some photos in front of the waterfall. As soon as we got to the waterfall, I knew we were going to have to make some adjustments. There were like 10 people there and a few of them were photographers.
Luckily we had time to figure things out before she got there. Also luckily, the people were really nice when they found out we were about to do a proposal. They all agreed to give us the space to make it work. We didn’t need them to be invisible, but we did need an open space in front of the waterfall.
There is a trail that comes up to the waterfall and it goes up a hill before coming down. This let DJ hide near the crest, so she wouldn’t see him till she came over. As soon as she saw him, you could tell her emotions changed; she lit up. She knew what was going on at that point, but there was till the initial surprise. DJ led her out onto a rock in front of the waterfall, talked for a minute, and then made the big move. It was magical.
We spent about another 20 minutes walking around Tanyard creek getting them some portraits. Some of my favorite were on this big hill that I’ve used tons of times.
I love seeing how happy everyone is right after a proposal. It’s one of the best moments in their lives and I get to be there watching it happen and capturing it for them to remember. If you’re reading this and thinking about proposing, reach out! I’ll talk you through it all and make sure it goes perfectly for you!