It’s been awhile since I’ve photographed a proposal and I was planning on taking the whole month of December off of work, but when Jared reached out to me with his plans for his proposal to Bartley on New Year’s Eve, I just couldn’t say no! I could tell by his email that he actually took the time to read through my website and all the information I had provided and he was aware that I was fully booked, but he decided to take a long shot and reach out anyway. Not only was he thoughtful in his first email to me, but it was clear that he was putting a lot of thought and intention into his whole plan to surprise Bartley. I knew that this was going to truly be something special and I’m honored to have been asked to document it!

After a phone call to talk over ideas, I was even more excited and we came up with a plan together to make this thing happen! Jared even went so far as to turn his phone location off and secretly meet up with me to scope out the perfect spot along the trail where he wanted to do the proposal. This particular trail is a favorite of theirs, one they’ve hiked many times together, so it was extra special to be able to do it here! NYE is also a special detail in this plan because it’s the 5 year anniversary of when Jared and Bartley met for the first time. (Cue my teary eyes, ugh)

After going over all the details even more, from the exact time he was going to propose, to what they were going to wear, to what to tell Bartley to make get him to the spot, we were READY.

THE EXECUTION

One of Jared’s first surprises for his plan was a weekend getaway that included a fake flight that ended up getting “delayed”. As they drove around to kill time, Jared instead pulled into the hotel that he had actually booked and revealed his real plan for a staycation and a “wellness day” for them on their anniversary and it would include a morning hike, massages, and a nice dinner. This is how Jared got Bartley to the location with a spare outfit that we would use for the second half of photos later. I got to the trail parking lot super early (Jared and I had decided to plan the proposal right around sunrise in order to get the best lighting of the day) and waited until I saw them arrive. After giving them enough of a head start to get to their spot I made my way up the trail too. I spotted them right where we had talked about so I got myself into position in the bushes behind them - careful not to get caught creeping LOL.

Finally, Jared got in position and popped the question - Bartley said YES! It was such a fun and happy moment to see Bartley catch on to what was happening and to celebrate that they were now officially engaged!! We spent the rest of the morning capturing some photos of them together to remember this special day. These two have such a sweet and special relationship and I seriously love the photos we took! Check out some of my favorites below.

Read Jared’s Testimonial:

“When I first connected with Carrie, I was deep in the process of planning a surprise proposal for my partner on our 5 year anniversary. Knowing this can be a stressful undertaking, I was immediately impressed by Carrie's professionalism, but also how she responded with warmth, inspiration, and genuine excitement to be a part of the big day I was planning. Carrie and I met to scout out the perfect location, and she truly went above and beyond in every way, not only to ensure me that I did not need to be stressed, but also to share her knowledge and expertise and help to craft such a meaningful and memorable experience. Carrie made the whole process completely seamless and fun. On the day of the surprise proposal, my (now) fiance was so surprised to look up and see Carrie hiding in some bushes snapping some photos after I proposed, and we proceeded to have an amazing session with Carrie at the site of the proposal, as well as at the Griffith Observatory. Carrie's warm presence made us feel totally comfortable being photographed and her eye yielded gorgeous photos that we will certainly cherish forever. She made the session feel like we were just out with a friend taking fun photos as opposed to a ‘photo shoot,’ and when we saw the images after the fact our jaws were on the floor. Carrie is kind, personable, and incredibly talented, and we would recommend Carrie to anyone! Thank you again, Carrie, for making our day feel so special!”