How cute are these two? Just wait until the story behind their Valentine's Day proposal at Hammonasset Beach State Park, because you are about to gush even more!
After announcing that I would be in New Haven, CT on Valentine's Day and had some availability for a couples shoot, Jenn reached out to me. Jenn and Colin have been together for a few years now and they were planning on getting engaged sometime this year. Jenn thought it would be really fun to have a Valentine's Day couples shoot on Connecticut's rocky shoreline at Hammonasset Beach State Park in Madison! Colin was nervous because he thought he might be awkward in front of the camera, but saw how excited Jenn was and agreed that it would be a fun afternoon!
Quick note: Colin was a natural! I hear from couples all the time that they are nervous to be in front of the camera, but once we start working and they get to just be totally in tune with each other, we get AMAZING pictures! That's why I love working with you in ways that feel natural for you and your relationship- no forced poses here!
So, now we get to the fun part! Before sunrise the day before our shoot, Colin went into Jenn's phone to find my number. I get a text mid-morning asking along the lines of "Is this Molly the photographer? If yes, great! If no, please ignore this message."
Because he wanted to be ultra sneaky, he called me while Jenn was in a meeting that afternoon. On the phone call, he told me that he would love to propose to Jenn during the photoshoot and that his friend had picked up the ring from the jeweler in NYC where it was being stored and was driving it up to him (what a good friend!)
So, how do you devise a plan to communicate about when is the best time to pop the question without giving away that everything has been planned to a 't'?
We plotted how exactly we would move through the shoot and what phrases we would use to communicate that he was ready. And once he was ready, I explained to Jenn that I wanted to "try something" with my new lens and placed her in front of him. When he was ready on one knee, I asked her to turn around!
To say that Jenn was surprised was an understatement! As you can tell from these beautiful pictures of her realizing what was happening. There were plenty of questions like "Is this really happening?!" and even after Colin assured her that "Yes, really!" he still had to remind her to actually answer whether she wanted to marry him as much as he wanted to marry her!
Of course, I brought along a bottle of champagne for them to celebrate!
Congratulations, you two! I have to say, photographing your proposal and engagement is my best Valentine's Day to date. It was such an honor to be there and bask in your love and laughter!
Molly is a small wedding and elopement photographer who is always up for a new adventure!
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