The Proposal: Jeff asks Liz!

Saturday March 20, 2010

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Jeff. I immediately like him. Maybe it was his name. I don’t know. Anyway, he was contacting me because he had plans to propose to his girlfriend Liz that Friday night. He wanted to know if I would be willing to hide out and shoot the actual proposal. Ummm….heck yes!

I met up with Jeff the following evening in South Boston to scout out the area and figure out a place that was bright enough for photos at night without flash. Not so easy. We walked around the World Trade Center and Seaport Hotel areas for about an hour or so and then worked on "Plan B" inside the Westin Hotel next to the Boston Convention and Exposition Center. Between the two of us, I think we could have come up with a pretty sweet flow chart of all the "what if?" scenarios we ran through in order to ensure that Jeff’s plan would be executed without spoiling the surprise.

What I loved most about the whole plan was that Liz was actually taking Jeff out for his birthday and then he was going to pop the question after dinner. What a great way to throw her off!

With the plan in place, Jeff and I shook hands, I wished him luck and we both headed home with great anticipation. I’m guessing Jeff’s was a little greater than mine.

That Friday, Jeff and I touched base during the day, confirmed the final details and timeline. I would be in place at 9:45 p.m. in front of the World Trade Center and watch for Jeff and Liz to approach and walk to the designated spot. He would attempt to laugh out loud at something so I would know when they were close.

I got in place and after explaining to a rather curious security guard exactly what I was doing, Liz and Jeff approached my location. My adrenaline was definitely pumping. I hid behind one of the columns in front of the World Trade Center and after they passed me, I moved to a spot behind some bushes so I could start shooting. Jeff was immediately on his knee reaching for the ring box hidden under his pants at his ankle. Liz was completely in shock. Her hands cupped over her mouth, she was definitely surprised. Awesome!

The one thing I heard her say to Jeff was "Are you serious??!!" This struck me funny. I meet a lot of couples and love to hear the story of their proposal as I’m not usually there for that part. More often than not it seems, the lady tends to ask the gent if he’s serious. Let me offer some advice to those who may doubt the seriousness of this act. For most guys, there are very few things in life of which we fear. A few things that come to mind are their mother showing a girlfriend that "naked" baby picture, video games being outlawed and marriage proposals. Trust me, if a guy gets down on one knee and asks you to marry him, he’s serious.

Needless to say, on the night in question, Jeff was serious and Liz said "Yes!" They embraced, she cried, and then called her mom. While she was on the phone with her mom, I came out of hiding a bit. At one point, she finally noticed me and said to Jeff, "Who’s taking our picture?" He told her and all I could hear was "SHUT UP! Mom, I’m gonna have to call you back. Jeff Turner is taking my picture right now." Jeff waved me over and I approached. I gave Liz a big hug of congrats and shook Jeff’s hand. Liz was still a bit in shock that Jeff had just proposed and couldn’t quite figure out how I was there either. It was great. Well done Jeff!!!

We snapped just a few more fun photos before they went off to call all their family and friends and enjoy the rest of Jeff’s birthday night.

Congrats to Liz and Jeff! I’m really excited to be working with you and can’t wait for the big day next year!!

If you know a guy who is planning to propose, tell him to send me an email or give me a buzz…I’d love to be there for the big moment!!

Please note that the images below were taken at ISO 6400 with no flash (thus, the "grain")