Anna Beth + Omar's Surprise Proposal

Getting that "Hey, I'm proposing to my girlfriend - could you photograph it?" message is always exhilarating, but even more so when you know the couple, and especially when said proposal is happening in two days! When Omar (my former weight room coach at UNC Asheville) reached out to me saying that he was planning to be in town (as he now lives states away) to propose to Anna Beth and wondered if there was any chance I might be free that Friday afternoon to capture their special moment, I knew that I would do whatever I could to make that schedule happen. And was it ever worth it!

Omar pulled out all the stops to make sure the afternoon with his sweetheart was perfect. He started the day by surprising her at lunch, an emotional moment in itself, I'm sure. Then he drove her out to their first home in Weaverville, choosing this as the perfect location to begin this next journey together. It was at this spot overlooking the community lake that local singer, Lyric, and I waiting in hiding. Although - funny story - we were not actually in hiding when they got there because we had gotten a text from him that he was 15-20 minutes away only a couple minutes before they got there! Just imagine our surprise when we were scoping out hiding spots and saw a truck driving up the lane. Luckily, she was so lost in the moment enjoying his company that she apparently didn't really notice us.

When the sweet couple arrived, they and their dogs made a beeline for the deck where they shared a long hug before Omar got down on one knee. It took a few minutes to get to the actual proposal, though, as their dogs obviously wanted to get in on the action! While the whole scene was beautiful, some of my favorite shots are what I like to call the "personality photos" with their pups photobombing. 

When Anna Beth unsurprisingly said an emphatic "Yes!", Lyric soulfully sang Anna Beth's favorite song as the newly engaged couple shared a tearful dance; swaying and grinning with happiness. While there's certainly something to be said for elaborately-planned proposals (and this one did take a good bit of coordinating, for sure), this intimate moment at such a personal spot to the two of them was one of the most meaningful proposals I've had the pleasure to shoot!