Proposal at the Whitney

Earlier in the week, I received a text from Joe asking about my availability to shoot a proposal at the Whitney in downtown Detroit. During Covid, I shot a beautiful, intimate wedding at the Whitney and loved the warmth and charm of the historic home. As Joe and I spoke about his ideas for the proposal, he mentioned that the Whitney was special to him and his family, as that is where his dad proposed to his mom years ago.

I met Joe at the historic home and walked the grounds with him. One of the challenges of shooting a proposal at the Whitney is that it is also a busy restaurant. Wanting some privacy, Joe was able to secure one of the rooms to be used for the candlelit proposal. Touchingly, he designed to proposal to Effi’s liking. All that was left was to bring her to the restaurant and ask for her hand in marriage.

As soon as Effi turned the corner to enter the room, she became emotional. Joe guided her into the room, took a knee, and proposed. Effi, overwhelmed with emotions and excitement, responded with a very enthusiastic “yes!”

After a short celebration inside, Joe had one more surprise for Effi. While Joe proposed in one of the private rooms, Effi and Joe’s families were waiting in another private dining room. As we walked down the stairs to begin shooting outside, I texted Anna, Effi’s sister, to let her know it was time. A few photographs into the shoot, the families joined Joe and Effi for another round of celebrations. To make things even more special, Effi’s family came in from Toronto to celebrate.

On our way to dinner, we stopped at the spot where Joe’s dad held his own proposal at the Whitney years ago.

Once the families were together, Joe offered a toast and the real celebrations began.

Flower Wall: Detroit Flower Wall