Caroline & Erik’s Surprise Proposal on Kiawah Island

There are few moments as electric and intimate as a surprise proposal — Erik’s for Caroline was one of them. Erik and I had been secretly planning for two months, coordinating timing, vantage points, and small details to make the moment feel effortless. He chose the Butterfly Garden at The Sanctuary Resort on Kiawah Island, where they were staying for the weekend, and golden hour wrapped the scene in a warm, honeyed glow.

My camera of choice was the Nikon Z9 — its autofocus speed and high-resolution files let me move between wide environmental shots and close emotional frames without missing a beat. Some moments that stuck with me: the quiet build of anticipation as they wandered through the garden, Erik’s nervous smile just before he knelt, Caroline’s joyful surprise, and the expression on her face after he pointed me out…snapping away from the other corner of the garden!

Afterwards, we had a fun time on an “authentic” engagement session around the property and onto the beach. Golden hour really worked its magic: soft, flattering light filtered through leaves and blooms, giving everything a cinematic, romantic quality. To keep detail in the shadows and make sure her ring and the smiles on their faces read crisply and clearly, I used a Godox AD200 off-camera flash. The flash provided subtle fill and rim light without overpowering the natural mood.

Photographing surprise proposals is about more than gear; it’s about reading people, staying invisible until the right instant, and anticipating the emotion. Two months of planning paid off in a collection of images that feel honest, tender, and timeless.

Please help me CONGRAGULATE Erik and Caroline!!! We wish them all the best as they begin their new journey together…

Maddie & Mark’s Engagement Session on Kiawah Island

Yesterday I had the pleasure of photographing Maddie and Mark’s engagement session in the picturesque Cassique neighborhood on Kiawah Island. The evening was perfect, bathed in the warm glow of golden hour, creating an enchanting atmosphere for capturing their love story.

As I arrived, the stunning scenery of lush landscapes and charming Southern architecture set the stage for a great session. My camera of choice wsa the Nikon Z9! It’s exceptional image quality and fast autofocus, ensuring that every candid moment reflected Maddie and Mark’s genuine joy and connection. I used the Nikkor Z 24-70 f2.8 II and the Nikkor Z 70-180 f2.8 for their incredible sharpness and beautiful bokeh. To add depth and dimension to certain shots, I used a Godox AD200 off-camera flash, creatively enhancing the images without overpowering the natural light. Plus a few shots on the DJI Mini 3 Pro added a unique perspective!

We explored different nooks and crannies of Cassique, from tree-lined pathways to waterfront vistas…ending up on a really cool wooden bridge over the marsh. I encouraged Maddie and Mark to interact naturally, allowing their personalities to shine through the lens. Their laughter and loving glances documented not just the moment but their deep connection to one another. The session culminated in a stunning sunset, with the sky painted in shades of orange and pink, resulting in breathtaking images. Each photograph not only captured a moment in time but also a reflection of their love, and their future together.

I felt a real connection with Maddie and Mark’s…and I loved hearing about their love story. I am honored to have been a part of this memorable experience and can’t wait to see where their journey takes them next!

Jessica & Dan’s Surprise Proposal at The Ocean Course

Dan contacted me almost 2 months ago about photographing his Secret Proposal to his girlfriend, Jessica. They are both from Madison, WI, and have been dating for a year and a half now. Dan knew she was the girl of his dreams…and knew that it was time to pop the question!

Dan told me that The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island was a special place for Jessica. So we hashed out the perfect plan for him to surprise her there during an upcoming vacation they had to Charleston. However, when the big day arrived, a huge storm blew through the area, almost derailing our entire plan! With Dan keeping Jessica occupied, his sister-in-law, Brielle, frantically called to try and work out a “Plan B” with me. I was already driving out to Kiawah when the storm hit. It was INTENSE!!! But soon after I arrived at The Ocean Course Clubhouse, it began to subside. And Dan was still game for giving it a try!

I am SO GLAD he persevered…because the skies parted, and the storm moved off-shore just as they pulled into the parking lot. Dan NAILED his part of the deal…leading Jessica to the “X”, which marked the spot, then turning to her to ask if she would be his bride! Brielle and his brother then ran out to congratulate them. And we spent the rest of the evening on a super fun, authentic engagement session. The best part was, the skies opened up beautifully for a gorgeous sunset! WOW!!!

As the sun slipped behind the horizon, everyone headed into The Atlantic Room for a celebratory dinner. CONGRATULATIONS Dan & Jessica! We wish you all the happiness in the world!!!

Andrew’s Surprise Proposal to Sarah at Waterfront Park

I’ve had so much fun getting to know Andrew while we secretly planned his proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Sarah. Andrew had gotten my name from his cousin, John, who’s surprise proposal I’d photographed to Sarah Rogers earlier this year. And in fact, Andrew & Sarah were in town to attend John & Shelby’s wedding, which I had the pleasure of photographing the day before. So it was kind of neat to be able to photograph proposals for both of these very kind and thoughtful young men!

I could tell Andrew was truly smitten by the way he wanted to make sure everything was absolutely perfect for Sarah on the big day! We went back and forth about a number of ideas, finally settling on the Public Pier at Waterfron Park as the best place for him. He loved the idea of having nothing but the pier and the open water of Charleston Harbor behind them.

Rain was forecast on the day of his proposal. But we just forged forward and the “gods of love” kept the rain away so that we could capture this beautiful milestone for Andrew & Sarah. Andrew had arranged for a carraige tour right before the photo shoot. Afterwhich they walked over to the pier for the surprise of Sarah’s life. There had been a couple people sitting at the end of the pier when I arrived to set up. Politely explaining the situation, they were kind enough to continue their walk so that Andrew & Sarah could have the entire pier to themselves. Wasn’t that nice?

Arriving right on cue, Andrew led Sarah to “the spot”, took a knee, and asked her to be his wife. I could tell by the look in her face that she was totally surprised! I mean, her friends were always asking her “do you think Andrew will be packing something expensive with him on this trip?” every time they went somewhere for a weekend getaway. But she clearly wasn’t expecting it to happen at that particular moment. It was AWESOME! And Andrew nailed it!!!

Afterwards, we enjoyed a fun “walk-about” up to Rainbow Row, down S. Adgers Wharf, and over to the Pineapple Fountain for some authentic engagement photos. But Andrew had another surprise up his sleeve for Sarah. Unbeknownst to her, he had secretly arranged for her parents to drive all the way down from Michigan so that they could surprise her at the fountain. It was such a neat moment to see the expression on her face when her parents walked around the corner!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Andrew & Sarah! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

John & Shelby’s Surprise Proposal at White Point Garden

Pinch me!!!

In case you missed it, Cami and I had the UNBELIEVABLE HONOR of photographing Shelby Rogers’ beautiful surprise proposal by her incredible boyfriend, John. I can’t begin to explain how touching it was to be there and capture this special moment for these two amazing humans!!!

Please help me in CONGRATULATING them, and wishing them all the happiness in the world as they begin this new journey together…

James & Sadaf’s Surprise Proposal at White Point Garden

James and Sadaf have been together for almost exactly one year. When James called me several weeks ago, I could just hear it in his voice…he KNEW Sadaf was the right girl for him!!!

Together we came up with a beautiful plan to surprise Sadaf during their weekend get-away to visit Charleston. Thinking they were meeting a guide at White Point Garden to take them on a short historic walking tour, Sadaf was totally unaware of the secret plan James had in store for her!

Leading his gorgeous girlfriend to a spot under the avenue of oaks, James dropped to one knee and asked her to be his wife. It was such an incredible moment that I could feel all the other tourists around me collectively holding their breath as soon as they realized what was going on. When Sadaf said “YES” and gave him that big hug, everyone burst out in enthusiastic applause!!!

I got to know James and Sadaf a little bit that afternoon, as we spent some time together wandering the historic downtown streets, creating some magical engagement photos for them.  And I can truly say, they are absolutely perfect for each other.  CONGRATULATIONS James & Sadaf! We wish you all the best as you begin this new chapter in your lives together…

Branden & Kendelle’s Surprise Proposal on Kiawah Island

When Julia told me Branden & Kendelle’s story, and explained that he was going to propose to her beautiful daughter the day before Thanksgiving, I knew right away that Cami and I needed to delay our travel plans by a day so that we could capture this moment!!!

Julia and I concocted the ruse that she hired me to photograph family portraits during their visit to Kiawah Island. We all met up at The Ocean Course.  I loved the colorful outfits they had all chosen.  And we had a blast, capturing a variety of shots, including their Christmas Card photo. Then towards the end of the shoot, I suggested some candid “walking on the beach” photos of each couple. When it was Branden & Kendelle’s turn, he took her hand, led her down the beach for a little privacy, dropped to his knee, and ask her to be his wife. It was SUCH a special moment!!!

Afterwards, everyone congratulated the newly engaged couple with hugs and high-fives. The others went inside for drinks at the Ryder Cup Bar while Branden & Kendelle did some engagement photos with me before meeting up with them in the Atlantic Room for dinner. As soon as the rest of the gang left, the overcast skies cracked open a sliver of light at the horizon, allowing the AMAZING sunset to shine through for the amazing couple!

CONGRATULATIONS Branden & Kendelle!  You have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together…

Alex & Hannah’s Surprise Proposal at White Point Garden

Alex’s heartfelt email arrived on my desktop back in July: “I’m looking to propose to my girlfriend on the evening of either 11/11/22 or 11/12/22 and would love to have the surprise proposal photographed.”. (I owe my good friend and amazing photographer, Michael Cyra, a HUGE Thank You for recommending us to him!)

This contact sparked a wonderful series of emails and phone conversations with Alex, in which we concocted a secret plan of action. Alex & Hannah were going to be visiting Charleston that weekend. We decided that after a fun tour of The Aquarium, he was going to let her know he had arranged for a private walking tour around historic Downtown Charleston for the two of them. And they had to meet their “tour guide” under a certain tree at White Point Garden.

When the big day arrived, I got to the park ahead of schedule, and set up my spot. Due to the wind (remnants of Tropical Storm Nicole that had passed through days before), Alex and I had to call an audible. We needed to reverse their positions so that Hannah’s hair wouldn’t be blowing in her face! 🙂 Alex handled the change of directions with confidence and discretion…expertly guiding Hannah to a beautiful spot on the lawn, underneath the avenue of oaks that line the edge of the park.

Dropping to his knee, Alex delivered a beautiful speech, and asked Hannah to be his wife. SHE SAID YES!!! The park was filled with tons of tourists, who all noticed what was going on, and broke out in applause afterwards! It was such a special moment.

Following their surprise proposal, Alex, Hannah, and I enjoyed a wonderful stroll through the park, into the surrounding old historic district, ending up along The Battery for some dramatic shots with the sun setting in the distance over the Ashley River!

CONGRATULATIONS Alex & Hannah!!! We wish you all the best as you begin this new journey together…

Izzy & Stephen’s Surprise Proposal

It was such an honor being a part of Stephen’s Secret Proposal to his beautiful girlfriend, Izzy, last night!

Stephen & Izzy have been together for 3 years now.  Although her family now lives in Florida, her dad is originally from Colombia, which explains her gorgeous Latin complexion.  His is lives in North Carolina.  The two of them met at a college in NC and have been dating ever since.  They live near Charlotte, where she works for a marketing agency, and he works for the Whitewater Center (like a Theme Park for outdoor enthusiasts).

When his company purchased the gorgeous Middleburg Plantation in Huger, Stephen knew EXACTLY where he wanted to propose!  So he called me and we came up with a plan.  Because his company has had surveyors, maintenance workers, photographers, influencers, and marketing teams out at the new property to get it ready for launch, he said it would be easy to pretend that I was out there to photograph the grounds for the company brochures.  We agreed on the perfect spot under the long avenue of amazing oak trees for me to photograph his surprise proposal.  And sure enough, it worked like a charm!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Stephen & Izzy!  We wish you all the happiness in the world as you begin your new journey together…

Matt’s Middleton Place Proposal to Becca

Becca & Matt are the most adorable couple ever!!!

When Matt called to ask if I would capture his surprise proposal to his girlfriend, Becca, I was super excited. He had already put so much thought into how he was going to propose, and had so many fantastic ideas. I could tell he was head-over heals in love. And I couldn’t wait to be a part of it!  We spent the next few weeks planning out every detail.

Matt knew how much Becca loved gardens and flowers. So he had chosen the Octagonal Garden at Middleton Place as the spot where he would ask her to marry him. Isn’t that awesome! I arrived at “the spot” a little early that morning to get in place. Right on cue, Matt led Becca around the corner and over to our pre-chosen location. Taking a knee in front of the girl of his dreams, he asked Becca to be his wife. She said YES!!!  🙂  I could hardly contain my emotions, as I witnessed the whole thing from inside my viewfinder.

Afterwards, we had so much fun, exploring the gorgeous grounds at Middleton Plantation, getting to know each other, and photographing a variety of authentic engagement photos for them to commemorate this special day! CONGRATULATIONS Matt & Becca!!!

Nick & Nicole’s Secret Proposal at The Sanctuary

After weeks and weeks of planning every detail for Nick’s secret proposal, we had to call a last-minute audible!!!

Nick and I had worked so hard to come up with the perfect plan for him to ask his beautiful girlfriend, Nicole, to marry him. We had picked a pristine beach at the northern end of Kiawah Island as the backdrop. We had chosen the perfect time of day to catch that “golden hour” light before sunset. But all our plans fell apart minutes before our scheduled time when the skies opened up, pelting buckets of rain down from the sky!!!

Fortunately, Nick and Nicole’s parents had secretly flown in to surprise the couple after the proposal. Since his parents were staying at The Sanctuary, they quickly scouted out a secluded spot indoors and out of the rain. They even placed a trail of rose petals leading Nick to “the spot” where he would do his magic. It worked out PERFECTLY!!!

Arriving right on cue, Nicole said later that she could sense Nick was acting a little strange. But she wasn’t sure why? Then Nick hit his mark, turned to face the love of his life, and dropped to one knee. It was a truly magical moment. Nicole burst into a HUGE grin as she realized what was going on…and she couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the night!

Afterwar she said “Yes”, we were able to incorporate the beautiful hallways, archways, and grand staircase of the famous hotel into a fun authentic engagement shoot. I got some neat candids of Nick & Nicole’s parents surprising them and checking out Nicole’s AMAZING ring. And of course we captured a few nice family portraits to commemorate the occasion.

CONGRATULATIONS Nick & Nicole!!! We wish you all the best as you begin your new journey together!

Richard Surprises Stephanie with Folly Beach Proposal

SHE SAID YES!!!

It was such an honor capturing Richard’s Surprise Proposal to Stephanie on Folly Beach last evening!

This amazing couple met at Southwest College, where Stephanie played hard to get at first. But before long, her and Richard became inseparable. They’ve been best friends ever since. After 5 years together, Richard FINALLY dropped to his knee at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and asked Stephanie to be his wife. 🙂

While making plans to vacation on Folly Beach together, Stephanie thought it would be fun to schedule a couple’s session. Since Richard had already bought the ring, and was trying to think of the perfect time to pop the question, he thought this could work in his favor. Together, he and I worked out a secret phrase so that half-way through their couple’s session, he would know it was time to do his magic. Richard’s brother had joined us under the ruse of “helping hold your phones and sunglasses”. Unknown to Stephanie, he was also secretly hiding the ring! At our pre-determined time of 8:00 PM, I distracted Stephanie by asking to photograph a couple shots of her by herself…giving Richard time to get the ring from David. Richard then took Stephanie’s hand and led her down the shoreline for a little privacy. Facing her with waves gently lapping at their feet, he opened his heart and asked her to marry him. It was SO AWESOME!!!

CONGRATULATIONS Richard & Stephanie! We wish you all the best as you begin this beautiful new stage in your journey together…