Gabriel Paul + Crysta's Suprise Propsal
Surprise proposals might be among my favorite things to partake in. I get to be on the inside of a great surprise, I get to help plan it, AND THEN I get to witness the surprise unfold. I have to work very hard to contain my nervous excitement for the couple when these types of sessions begin.
The date of the proposal was set for the sweet couple, Gabe & Crysta's anniversary - which just so happen to fall a day after I sold my home in Demopolis and moved to Tuscaloosa. I love proposals so much that I was going to figure out a way to make this happen. It was a little chaotic a week, but we made it work.
With the date and logistics on my end set, we proceeded to strategize the proposal. With the proposal happening on their anniversary, it wasn't such a crazy idea for Gabe to tell Crysta that he had planned a nice dinner. He was going to inform her on the way to dinner that he had another surprise - an anniversary photo shoot! The location we landed on was Foscue park in Demopolis which is a beautiful park just off the Tombigbee river. We decided to start at a trail head, walk a little ways along the trail, then walk back and he would propose back by the beginning of the trail. This way their families could sneak up nearby, out of sight, but get to be a part of the proposal and the photos immediately following. He even had planned a celebratory cruise for the week following that up until this surprise proposal, she figured she'd be proposed to on.
The day of the session arrived and I was a little nervous about the weather as evening showers were forecasted. Luckily the light was perfect, but the heat and humidity were something else. Everything went along nice and smooth. The pathway follows the water and is covered with trees - making for a stunning backdrop. We started with some photos near the cars to warm up, walked to a little swinging bridge for more photos, then returned back to the beginning of the trail, as planned.
We captured some stunning images. Their love is so present in these photos. Also, I loved the red pop of Crysta's hair and the parasol was a fun little prop that caught the light phenomenally. This all took us about 40 minutes, so by this point, while Crysta may have been suspicious in the beginning, she was thinking this truly was just an anniversary photoshoot (she later revealed), which was the goal!
We had reached the beginning of the trail and it was time to propose! I could see the additional cars had pulled up and knew the family had arrived. I asked Crysta to gaze out to the water and signaled for Gabe to go ahead. When she turned around, her bewildered expression was priceless. She had some choice words to let about about how sneaking Gabe had been this whole time and how shocked she was. Mission accomplished, I'd say.
After proposing, the family revealed themselves and we took some photos with everyone.
What a lovely time! We all may have left some sweat behind but took way such special memories. It was an honor to be there and take a small part in this. Congratulations to Gabe & Crysta!
If you, too, are looking for a Tuscaloosa proposal photographer (or really anywhere in the southeast), I would love to help strategize with you. You can contact me here and let me know what you're thinking and I'll take it from there!
