I love photographing surprise marriage proposals! As a wedding photographer, I’d have to say that it’s one of the most challenging assignments I get, but it’s so very much worth it to be able to capture such wonderful images of that unforgettable moment, and Mark’s marriage proposal to Karlie could not have gone better, as he did a masterful job on several fronts.
First of all, he threw Karlie off the scent by breaking the bad news to her a few weeks prior, that circumstances dictated he would not be able to propose any time soon. But he had other plans for their trip to New Orleans for Voodoo Fest. For the big day, he arranged it so that they were both nicely dressed, as they had gone out for brunch that morning to celebrate Karlie’s birthday, and Mark had cited a (perhaps slightly exaggerated) dress code requirement. Secondly, he managed to get his family and hers to town from Mississippi and Tennessee without her knowing, and they were able to be present to stealthily witness the proposal from afar, which took place at Washington Artillery Park overlooking St. Louis Cathedral.
It was delightful to see Karlie’s reaction not only to the proposal itself, but immediately afterward as perfect strangers were cheering and congratulating them (because that’s what we do in New Orleans!), and she suddenly realized that her family was unexpectedly there as well. We followed up with some portraits of the newly-engaged couple, and then they headed out to celebrate at Voodoo Fest!
