Not much compares to the excitement and surprise of a proposal. The preparation, the butterflies and crazy nerves, the ring… and of course the hidden photographer! I love photographing these amazing moments, whether I am posing as a tourist photographing the city skyline (as was the case for this proposal), sneaking behind bushes or even hiding behind an air conditioning unit. It’s one of the rare times when stealth is part of the job, for just a few minutes I get to be a photo ninja!
Aaron had a terrific evening planned for Joana, even when they hopped out of their Uber (and we had been texting the whole time to coordinate the time and location, what they were wearing, etc.) for a very chilly walk along the waterfront she was not tipped off. I had one camera on a tripod and the other hidden under my coat, ready to snap away as soon as the time was right. They hugged and admired our great city of Chicago, snapped a selfie, and then it all happened. There were SO many happy tears, and even some serious cheering from a group nearby that saw the whole thing. It was perfect! We captured a few night photos before they left for a surprise dinner at Nomi (and I am sure a lot of happy phone calls!), what a beautiful way to start their next chapter. Congrats again to these two lovely people!
Some words from Aaron…
How did you meet? Joana and I met at a mutual friends house party. She was brand new to Chicago (it was her first weekend there) and she didn’t know many people or anything about the city, so I jumped at the opportunity of being her tour guide. We started off just as friends (even though I knew she was something special and the friends thing wouldn’t last long) and then eventually realized we were perfect for one another.