Tag: kansas city surprise engagements

Twinkle lights, chilly fall nights and another newly engaged couple! Let’s talk about Matt & Cierra…

by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Matt contacted us a while back while he was plotting his surprise proposal to Cierra. She had no idea what he was planning (insert Morgan Freeman’s voice: she did, in fact, have some idea. She just didn’t know the details). Matt chose the location: Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens and was very specifc about date and time and even worked out getting their parents together back at Cierra’s parents house while the happy couple wandered through the Luminary Walk. Nothing says romance like twinkly lights and candle lit walks through the woods!

The sparkle!

Matt and I had corresponded through text throughout the week and even on the day of, he texted me the colors of their (dark) coats so that I could find them in the (dark) woods! Well, we did our best! I texted him a picture of where I was and as casually as possible, they strolled by me and asked if I could take their picture in front of this amazing tree. OF COURSE I CAN! So using Cierra’s phone, I captured a few shots of them standing and then Matt dropped to one knee in front of a crowd of people and proposed!

He opened the ring box backwards at first but neither of them minded!

There was a large group that applauded and cheered when Cierra said yes and the rest of the night was a breeze! Cierra and Matt met 12 – that’s right – TWELVE years ago. They attended different high schools and colleges and now after all of that, they have moved back to the KC area – together – and are saving up to buy a house and travel a little and keep doing all the things they love.

Matt and Cierra love getting out and about around town, trying new things together – restaurants and activities – and sometimes, they just soak up being couch potatoes and watching their favorite shows together over and over!

Not THE tunnel of love but we certainly made it theirs!

The best thing about night photography (or really any dimly lit location) is that your subjects really have to stay still for a period of time to get some of the best shots. Thankfully, this couple was all about sticking the pose for the camera! They really committed to these shots and I had so much fun capturing them – and all of the love they share! Congratulations to these two, thank you for letting me be a part of your special moment and evening and I can’t wait to hear about all the wedding plans!!!

‘Tis the Season… for getting hitched! Meet Emily and Hayley…

by Kansas City Photography, posted in Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Recently, we had the pleasure of witnessing this ‘YES!’ moment at Prairie Fire Museum in Overland Park (note to self… add this to the list of fantastic places for photos! The colors! I’m obsessed!) Emily and Hayley met WAYYYYYY back in middle school but didn’t start dating until a little over a year ago!

I was never spotted until it was time!

When Emily decided to propose, she went to great lengths to pick the perfect ring, the perfect spot and hatch the perfect plan! She enlisted Clara, her bestie, as a distraction and Clara’s sister, Elsa, came too – all under the premise of taking pictures of Clara and promised Hayley there would be lunch!

Emily even went as far as sending me a map, a plan of attack, a route we would take afterwards, all leading to a surprise lunch with Emily’s mom and Hayley’s great-grandma! Hayley is very intuitive and Emily was sure she would know something was up – and she was right! Hayley was suspicious but didn’t know the plan and loved how it all played out!

So many spots to stop and take some great shots of these two!

As we walked through the shopping area, we stopped to take all kinds of pictures! There is no shortage of beauty anywhere around here. We also had plenty of time to chat about their cats and dog, about how they get to spend their time doing all the things the love and how they both work in education (LOVE OUR TEACHERS!!!)

Don’t worry – we went back and edited out the damage the wind tried to do to their hair! I’ll update with that picture soon!

As we were strolling down the street, headed toward lunch (the surprise lunch with mom and great-grandma) – here comes mom, driving right down the road next to us! Emily and Hayley just laughed – mom definitely didn’t follow the plans or the map! HA! But even though the cat was out of the bag, and the wind was blowing at what seemed like 100mph, we had so much fun finishing out the shoot!

AH THE RING!

When we finally met at the lunch destination, Emily’s mom, Hayley’s great-grandma, Clara, Elsa (and of course Emily and Hayley), all stopped to pose for one last picture together and off to lunch they went!

Congratulations to this beautiful couple! Can’t wait for the updates on all the camping, visiting Colorado (one of my favorite spots), and, of course, the WEDDING PLANS!!!!

Suprise Engagements: What to expect on the big day!

by Kansas City Photography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!, Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

So you’ve planned, you’ve plotted, you’ve thought of absolutely every detail imaginable and your photographer has helped cover everything in between. So now all that’s left is to POP THE QUESTION! How does it all come together? Well… every proposal has been a bit different but it usually shakes out like this:

The day of the event:

Usually I don’t get to meet my wonderful clients until after the surprise proposal but I’ll always send you the link to our website ‘meet the team’ space so that you have a general idea of who to look for! https://kansas-city-photography.com/meet-the-team/

When you’ve arrived at the pre-determined location, I’ll climb trees, hide under bushes, pose strangers for pretend pictures and all the while be snapping pictures of the moments you’re sharing with your future spouse!

I took this gem while hiding behind a bridge pillar!
I tailed this couple on their walk through Loose Park!
And these two were both genuinely surprised I wasn’t actually taking pictures of dogs at the park!

Once you’ve popped the question, celebrated the moment (aka ALL THE KISSING), my location is revealed and we head into the rest of our photo shoot! Usually at this point the stress from the planning and the anticipation of the day’s events have subsided and we all have a really good time!

Remember, any time is a good time to start planning and we are ready and able to help you with each and every step! Book your surprise engagement today!

Surprise Engagements!

by Kansas City Photography, posted in "How To" / Tips & Tricks!, On-Location Series, Photoshoots, Surprise Proposals

Timing, Locations, and Outfits, oh my!

Nick & Sydney celebrate their special moment in Loose Park

After my most recent clients (Nick and Sydney) celebrated their ‘Yes!’ in Loose Park yesterday, I was stopped by another couple and asked for some details on engagement photography and how did we pull off *another* surprise engagement, especially in such a busy location? And I thought… why not tell the world? So if you’re ready to propose to your partner – you’re in the right spot! I’m going to spill the beans on surprise engagements! We’ll review the top spots in Kansas City, how to prepare, what your photographer can help you with — and more! But first… Let’s do a quick recap of our other recent proposals and some of their special moments!

SURPRISE ENGAGEMENTS: LOCATIONS

Most of my clients have picked out the ring, the day, and sometimes even their outfit but when I ask, ‘where are we going for this special moment?’ the answer is almost always, ‘I’m not sure, do you have any recommendations?’ Yes, my friends, yes I do. Here are the list of questions to ask yourself (or that I will ask you) before we decide on a spot!

  • Is there a local spot that’s special to you? Maybe your first date? Maybe a spot you go to regularly?
  • Is there a specific background you’re looking for? Water? Flowers? Trees? Cityscape?
  • When you think back on this special day, is this a location you’re going to want to be able to access (if possible, think wedding, anniversaries, etc).
  • Formal/Casual dress attire?
  • Are you planning any activities pre/post engagement session?

Once we get through those – we can narrow down that right location for you!

If my clients have no preference on location, I refer to this blog post: https://kansas-city-photography.com/2017/02/03/top-10-photo-locations-in-kc/

But also I like to add in these options:

  • Powell Gardens
  • Nelson Atkins
  • Plaza
  • KC Rooftop Bars (think Crossroads area!)
  • Longview, Smithville and WyCo Lakes!

There are a number of locations to choose from and when recommending a place I like to consider the season – what’s blooming, what colors will show in the background? Is it rainy season? Are we going to get muddy (this might be something planned!) What’s planned for after the photoshoot – do you have time to get where you’re going if we pick a certain location over another. Also, are there several backgrounds for the photos or will we just have one or two to work with? Your photographer will work with you to brainstorm ideas and they’ll also take into consideration lighting, weather, permits (if necessary) and review all of that with you. Overall, a lot to think through but in the end, this is the backdrop for your special moment so we want it to be right!

Up next… How to prepare: The details for your special day!

Click here to book your engagement photos with Kansas City Photography (which is in both St. Louis & Kansas City)!

(Note: All photos in this blog post were taken by Kansas City Photography. You may not re-use without permission.)