My cheeks STILL hurt. This proposal and Scottsdale Waterfront engagement session was filled with so much laughter and so many smiles that I think I may have a perma-grin going. Which says A LOT about how awesome this was, seeing as I may as well be the poster girl for RBF afflicted women everywhere.
George knew he wanted to pop-the-question to Danielle for quite a while. He was just waiting for the perfect time to do it. He wasn’t sure what, where or how that time was, but it was coming soon. The problem with waiting though, is that sometimes life throws you crazy curve balls that force your hand on that ‘perfect’ plan.
So when he told me had less than one week before the love of his life was being transferred 2200 miles away for training for the next 6 months, and that there was no way he was going to let her leave without the promise of forever and that ring on her finger… I knew we had to make it happen. Oh, and btw… she was on super high alert about the possibility of him proposing soon, and he can’t ever get anything over on her because she reads him like a book. No pressure.
Good thing I thrive under pressure. We picked a spot, made a plan, and met to do a walk-through of the whole thing in less than 4 days. Gentlemen, it can be done.
George decided to propose at the Scottsdale Waterfront, the place where they had spent a really great date night at the Italian Festival (places with personal connections are always the best!) a few months back. To get her there, he told Dani he wanted to take her out to dinner before she moved away the next day. They had spent the whole weekend packing for her to leave, so she was suspicious about this random night out (on a Monday none-the-less), but went along with his idea.
As they walked over the bridge over the Arizona Canal, a pretty spot with gorgeous views of the McDowell Mountains in one direction, and the golden Arizona sunset in the other, George brought Dani to the rail and attempted to make small talk about the date they had had there. She teased him about why they were wandering around and why they were stopping on the bridge. Didn’t they have a ‘reservation’ to keep? And why would you have to make a reservation for a restaurant on a Monday? And wasn’t the restaurant in the other direction?
She kept looking around, and I hit the deck several times like a soldier on the battle field to avoid her spotting me. Five minutes in to them “hanging out” on the bridge, and I wasn’t 100% sure that things were going well for George. I was dying of both curiosity and laughter at this point because I could tell she was giving him a hard time, even from 100 yards away. This is a girl after my own heart.
He was nervous, of course, and forgot a lot of what he had planned to say. His whole soliloquy about how the last few years had been the best of his life, and how he wanted to make the rest of their years the best of hers… all went out the window. But what he didn’t forget was key. Despite her goading him about the whole sequence of events, George managed to get Dani to the exact spot, at the exact time, and facing in the exact direction he needed to for me to get her reaction to the question she already knew was coming.
And what a reaction it was. Although Dani was basically “on to” George and knew something was up, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that his proposal was a raging success regardless. Because seeing these two banter, and play, and double over laughing is all the proof I need to know that this kind of happiness trumps any kind of surprise any day. And frankly, at the end of the day the only thing that matters is that his goal was accomplished (see that shiny bling on her finger?!), and we captured these incredible memories for them. Memories which I know they’ll both hold on to and cherish, especially during the next six months or so that they have to spend living so far apart.
George and Dani, you guys have the kind of relationship that will bridge any distance put between you. Your playful, sarcastic love hits so close to home for me and my Italian roots, which is why I can’t stop smiling when I look back on this day. I absolutely adored being there to capture this huge (albeit maybe not entirely surprising) time in your lives. I am so incredibly happy for you two, and I can. not. wait to see what you plan for your wedding – wherever and whenever that will be! And George… word to the wise…. You’re really going to go full-on spy mode for the next surprise you plan, because that girl’s got your number! 💕
©Mindy Deluca
Photos: Mindy DeLuca Photography
If you love the vibe of this Scottsdale Waterfront Engagement, I’d love to chat with you about planning yours! Get in touch about your proposal, engagement session, or wedding! Contact me here.
And while you’re here, you may want to check out some other fun, romantic, unique, creative proposals in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area:
Creative Moving Truck Proposal
Surprise Destination Lakeside Proposal
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The GEAR used for this Session:
Nikon D750, Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8, Nikon 85mm f/1.8, Nikon 50mm f/1.4, Nikon 35mm f/1.8, Nikon 60mm f/2.8.
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