Surprise proposals

it just keeps happening!

My clients keep saying it! “will you marry me?” “please marry me!” “I love you and want to spend my life with you” and many, many other versions of the same proposal in this life we are gifted with. As for me, I dig it! Yellowstone National Park is a wondrous place full of centuries of dynamic life… long before we came along. hah! Here are images from another day in my life of capturing this momentous time in life!

Ty popped the question in front of Yellowstone Falls with a few bystanders taking in the view. I could see that it took a few moments for Emily to fully realize what was transpiring. Then the emotions washed over the place like a wave! Many of the witnesses cheered and a few took time to congratulate Emily and Ty.

PS. I love my job! enjoy the view.

Surprise, surprise!

This surprise proposal was a real SURPRISE!!! I was amazed how this young man went to great lengths to ensure that was the surprise of a lifetime for his companion. He told me that he realized, knowing the keen cognizance of his lady friend and love of his life, that it was going to take some work and other distracting events to pull this off. So he was meticulous in his planning all the while creating some diversions and change of plans, here and there leading up to the big day. The photos tell the story! However, what I couldn’t show in my still images, was just how long she was awash in emotion, joy, tears and blissful uncontrolled laughter!!! FABULOUS! Enjoy!

And also I will note that the rainbow in the spray of Yellowstone Falls was epic!

Surprise proposal in Yellowstone

Yellowstone Falls is probably one of the most fantastic sights you could hope to see when you visit Yellowstone National Park. The power and energy is absolutely spell binding. Every year I get to witness a number of surprise wedding proposals at various locations. However this place takes the cake!!!

This year the run off from Yellowstone Lake is formidable to say the least and it all comes running down the river and dumps over the cliff to the canyon many hundreds of feet below. The falls is 308 feet (94 m) high, or nearly twice as high as Niagara Falls.

What better place to propose marriage to the one you love!

Congratulations to Robert and Lauren.

Dramatic proposal on the Yellowstone

I found myself hiking in to my favorite studio along the banks of the Yellowstone river with a foreboding storm front moving quickly in from the south. I had made firm plans with Mitchell for his surprise proposal and now… I’m thinking we’re going to get drenched a half mile from the highway!

Fortunately, the storm stayed a little ways south of the planned location. Soon I noticed the couple approaching the river quite a ways down stream. Fortunately he caught a glimpse of me on the shore and made his course correction quickly.

Mitchell and Madison approached and I made friendly conversation about the storm, the weather and the birds I was photographing! Then went on about my business as they approached the shoreline. And then the lightening and thunder commenced as Mitchell knelt before his companion and asked her to marry him! OMG! It was Shock and Awe! Lot’s of laughs, hugs and kisses.

After that we hustled around, made more photos and took a quick path to our cars. Then up we went into the mountains to enjoy the valley view and a little shower.

Congratulations to Madison and Mitchell. Enjoy the view!

secretly removing the ring box from under his belt!

Madison seemed to be gathering herself from the surprise!

And then, the ring went on her finger very quickly!

Proposing in Paradise

I got an email from Michael a couple of months ago and began the process of setting up the photography of his surprise proposal to Sarah in Yellowstone National Park. Little did we know that all the precise planning was going to be ‘awash’, so to speak in the challenges of a disastrous flooding of the Yellowstone River starting in Yellowstone park and continuing south though many towns down river.

Well, it’s quite a story which I’ll make time for later in the week. The bottom line is that Michael and I for the last week, carried on daily secret conversations to bring us all together without blowing the secret. Amazingly, we did it… and yesterday Michael proposed marriage to Sarah on the banks of the mighty and still swollen Yellowstone River.

I posed as a hobbyist photographing birds near a pre-planned location and the rest is history!!! Here’s a beautiful image I grabbed right as the couple was walking by me to the planned spot. Then the real event began!

Congratulations to Sarah and Michael, newly engaged and my new friends! smiles…

Paradise Valley surprise proposal

What was going to be a simple ‘surprise proposal’ stroll along the banks of the Yellowstone River with a camera turned into a wild spring weather experience. I was all set up about a half mile up the river bank at the Yellowstone Valley Lodge when a weather front blew in with a rage. It came with such force that I had to run for my vehicle to take cover and somehow the lightening caused my cell phone to glitch out. I lost all connection with the ‘groom to be’ as we were trying to coordinate the last minute location details for the surprise. All our planning was out the window. The storm went as quickly as it came, so I began the walk back down to the planned meeting place. Then the miracle arose.

I could see the sun light start to refract in moisture filled air. The beginning of a rainbow started take to the sky. I grabbed my gear and ran back up to the lodge in hopes of finding my ‘couple’! There they were standing on the deck above watching the rainbow grow. The groom was somewhat shell shocked by the ravaged plans we had made… and in awe of the rainbow forming in the sky above.

Up to this point his lady was still unsure of what was happening. Not wanting to spoil the surprise, I yelled up to the couple and ‘spun a little story’ about how I was shooting some images for the Ranch and would they PLEASE come down into the field and just be an anonymous couple taking in the spectacle. They jumped at the chance to be in my photos. Down they came, running out into the field as I yelled out directions to get them into the frame. All this time the rainbow was growing more bright and tall in the valley. It was too good to be true…. AND THEN!!!

He took the lead! He turned to his lady, took her hands and spoke the words of a lifetime. She was visibly changed as she melted and merged with the reality. The rainbow continued to grow as I made some images that Chris and Katia will cherish for a lifetime. It was quite miraculous. See for yourself!