Charleston, SC Battery Park Surprise Proposal
They were walking towards the spot, getting closer and closer. We rushed to clear the gazebo in the center of Battery Park in Charleston, South Carolina. The area was full of people coming and going as we tried to get ready for the perfect moment.
How It Began
I had just come home from work when I got the message. Daniel had sent me a message on Instagram in September of 2020 telling me he was going to propose to Taylor and wanted me to photograph it! I momentarily freaked out while completely full of excitement! This was the first proposal I had ever been asked to photograph! My mind was blown but I felt so honored. I just had to stay quiet, and boy was that the hardest secret I’ve had to keep!
Time to Plan
Originally we thought the proposal might happen in December of 2020 in Washington DC but after Daniel suspected Taylor might have caught on, we changed plans. Daniel decided on Charleston, SC and if you know me, I’m always down to travel so I was just as excited!
None of us had ever been to Charleston before so Daniel and I had to do some research to come up with a plan. The goal was for Taylor to have no idea and be completely surprised! Taylor wasn’t even going to know I was in Charleston!
I asked another photographer for location ideas in the area and Daniel and I started looking on google maps. We decided Battery Park would be the best location, and with it being a public park, it wasn’t out of the ordinary for other people to be around. The park stood as the perfect cover.
The Proposal
Daniel and I made sure he had the perfect cover story for Taylor. I told Daniel to tell Taylor they were going to a nice restaurant to celebrate their trip. The proposal was set to be around 5 so Daniel told Taylor he made plans at a nice restaurant for dinner and their reservation was at 5:30pm (it was actually around 8).
My dad and I arrived at the park early and we put an X on the ground where Daniel was going to propose. Taylor and Daniel had never met my dad so he was able to stand closer to the gazebo to get people out of the center of the walkway.
Daniel texted me when they had arrived at the park and I was already in position. As they walked down the path, I was so excited but so nervous! It all happened so quickly and as Daniel found the X, he faced Taylor and held her hands. When he started to reach into his pocket, she knew what was happening. Daniel got down on one knee and Taylor was so shocked but so happy! After tears were shed, a ring was on Taylor’s finger and these two were engaged!
After the proposal, Taylor turned around and laughed as she realized I was standing there and had been taking pictures the whole time! Daniel and I were able to completely surprise her!
March 15, 2021
[…] hold such a special place in my heart, especially since I had the honor to photograph their epic Charleston proposal! I have loved every second of watching them wedding plan and getting to photograph all the […]