Surprise proposals are always exciting for me to capture, but this recent session was THE best. You may ask why? Well, because this session breaks ties with tradition. This proposal features a woman who asked her boyfriend to marry her and I just love it.

My client has been dating her boyfriend for 4 and a half years. A few years ago, she and her boyfriend had a conversation in which they joked that she should be the one to propose. Afterwards, when they casually mentioned it to family members and she was told that she can’t propose to a man because she was a woman and it would not be romantic. This young lady rose to the challenge and refused to listen to the word “can’t.” She decided she in fact, could and would defy this tradition. Well, I am so glad she didn’t listen to others because this was probably one of the most romantic engagement sessions I have ever photographed.

When constructing the plan, she said she wanted a very natural and picturesque location, we went through a couple of possibilities and then I suggested one of my favorites spots that would be rich with foliage on the day of her engagement. We met at the location a few days before the big day to construct the final plan and I knew it was going to be a perfect night. Because this location is not the sort of place you would arrive to dressed up, I brought along some of my client closet dresses for her to try on so she could quickly change into one after she popped the question. She selected one of my favorite Free People dresses, which looked stunning on her and was perfect for the location.

On the day of her proposal, it was a 77 degree November afternoon. No, that is not a typo. It was 77 degrees on Long Island, New York in November! We welcomed this beautiful weather for the obvious reasons, but it also allowed the opportunity to do water shots at the end of the session, which are always my favorite to capture.

This couple is so fun and so they were so naturally connected to one another that it really shines through in their images. I don’t think I have ever seen a couple laugh so much during a session and it was so sweet to capture. I know they will have a lifetime of love together.

Here are a few images from their session.