YES I would like to photograph your new puppy! AND you want to propose to your girlfriend?! Heck yeah! As a wedding and couple photographer this is the kind of email you dream of receiving in your inbox. I would rearrange my calendar to make this happen and help you plan the whole thing if you wanted! Haha. In all seriousness, these moments are so worth capturing and I was honored to be asked to witness and photograph this moment for David and Shawna! (I didn’t mind the puppy cuddles either!)
We chose a golden hour photo shoot at Rotary Park in Calgary, Alberta that overlooks downtown and the Bow River – a place they would usually go to for walks. (Talk about all the sentimental pieces lining up… just wait until you see the custom engagement ring! David had thought about everything to make this proposal special for Shawna!)
I had been to Rotary Park in the summer but wintertime would mean the sun would be positioned differently and light would begin to disappear a lot earlier in the day. I scouted it ahead of time to find spots on the pathways with beautiful light. It was perfect and we had it all to ourselves! Perfect for an unsuspecting bride-to-be!
Their new pup was so playful, bounding around and exploring. However, when she was in their arms, she was completely content to snuggle up with them! When David and Shawna went to share a kiss – she had to get in there too!
David and I talked in advance and choose a pose to be our signal that I was ready and he could go ahead and surprise Shawna. This was the signal…
David custom designed Shawna’s ring to represent the Three Sister’s mountains in Canmore, AB as a reminder of all the adventures they have had and all the ones yet to come.
