The Holidays are a time for family.  What better time to invite the one you love to join your family and start one of your own!

Proposing is a personal thing.  Some want to bend a knee in front of a stadium full of strangers, some in a romantic restaurant and others prefer a quiet secluded location.  All are great if done for the right reason, your future bride.  Only you know what she likes and dreams.  Make her dream a reality and then add in a twist to make it special for both of you!

I think it is great when you can make at least some of the proposal a surprise.  I loved how Josh surprised his future bride.  Josh planned a romantic weekend getaway to Charleston right before the Holidays.  He planned romantic dinners.  Romantic activities.  Not what you are thinking… Charleston is filled with picturesque cobble stoned street, historic churches, art galleries, museums,  you get the idea.

Josh also preplanned when and where he would ask his girlfriend to marry.  Knowing the Holidays were just around the corner, he wanted to surprise her all over again in just a couple of weeks, so he called Charleston Photographer to capture the well planned event, capture her expressions and also do it without her knowing…  A tough feat based on the location.  We hatched a plan to explain why a photographer would be at the same location and at the same time.  Simple.  We staged a family portrait photography session!

Out of the corner of my eye I kept watch for the telltale bending of the knee, sneaking a few photos when she wasn’t looking.  Once Josh paused and turned to her, she knew instantly.  I played the happy stranger wanting to congratulate the excited couple and even offered to take a pic with their iPhone as well as my professional camera and even wrote down her email with a promise to send her the photograph.

Our plan worked!  Josh ordered a couple of prints to be framed.  He wrapped them and then placed them under the tree.

Christmas morning Josh’s fiancé opened her long planned surprise!

Well done Josh.

Proposal and engagement photography in Charleston SC, water front park.