Andre reached out to me two weeks before their trip to Victoria to start planning and capturing the perfect proposal to his girlfriend, Savanna. When the moment finally came, I was waiting in position at Cattle Point. Andre and Savanna walked alongside the ocean, and she had no idea what was about to happen. I was so giddy with anticipation, but kept it cool as I pretended to photograph some birds in the water.

Andre dropped to one knee, and Savanna immediately covered her face and started tearing up. It was a moment of such pure emotion; I might have shed a few tears too! I captured the proposal from start to finish, and afterwards Andre introduced me to Savanna and we took a few photos of them popping champagne and soaking in all the amazing feelings of that moment. The proposal itself was such a happy blur of emotions for them both, and so I’m glad they’ll always have these photos to look back on.

As Andre and I had already discussed, I said goodbye to the couple. But the surprises didn’t end there. Though I had pretended to leave for good, I actually drove over to Victoria Golf Club, where Andre and Savanna’s families were waiting to share in the celebration. They had come from all over Canada and the U.S. to surprise her for a second time that day.

Savanna arrived to what she believed was a celebratory lunch for just the couple, and I captured the moment she realized that all of their loved ones were there to celebrate with them! So many tears of joy followed, and it was a roller coaster of emotions that I was honoured to capture.

Surprise proposals are one of my favourite events to photograph. There is truly nothing like the nervousness, giddy feelings and peak excitement of the moment to make for some of the most emotionally-supercharged photos you’ll ever see. This was a moment that will be remembered forever by Andre, Savanna and their families, and I feel privileged to have been a part of it.

So, to anyone out there who may be planning a proposal, know that I am here to help you every step of the way!

Venue: VICTORIA GOLF CLUB