Quarton Lake Proposal

This proposal…this proposal may be one of my all-time favorites. It is no secret that I have photographed many of my former students’ weddings. I have even photographed their proposals before. But, this one may take the cake: not only are Bobby and Cecelia my former students; they also met in my classroom on the first day of class! We were talking about it after their Quarton Lake proposal: What are the odds that not only were you in the same school, same class, same semester, same hour, but that you also had similar last names, dated five years, stayed together and in love, and your teacher is also a proposal photographer? They really should buy a lottery ticket!

Bobby called and left a voicemail on my phone. “Hi Mr. Weitzel, this is Bobby C…I was hoping if you could give me a call regarding something photography related.” My mind started racing, putting names with faces, trying to remember what year I had him. I had a vague recollection. Still, I had no idea what the call was about. I assumed it would be dealing with mentorship or perhaps he wanted advice on a camera to buy. However, when he told me that he was still dating Cecelia and wanted to propose, it all clicked. The names, the faces, the year…everything. When he mentioned that they have always joked that I would be there since they literally met IN MY CLASS, there was no way I was going to miss this.

That is the absolute beauty of photography, not only do we get front row seats for life’s most important moments, our lives become intertwined with the lives of so many others.

Bobby and I quickly got to work, bouncing around ideas, possible locations, and a backstory to go along with it. I sent him blogs from spots that I thought could work well for what he envisioned. Once he saw the spot, he knew he had to have a Quarton Lake proposal.

With the story in place, Cecelia thought they were getting dressed up to take family photos. Even Bobby’s mom was in on it, texting her on the day about what she is wearing and they were running a bit behind. As Bobby and Cecelia approached the spot, he was ready to pop the question.

Cecelia was overwhelmed with joy as soon as Bobby got down on a knee, smiling and laughing as she saw her dreams come true.

During our location scouting for his Quarton Lake proposal, Bobby asked me if I had a favorite moment in a proposal. The answer is actually this picture below: the brief moment after he hears the word “yes” and realizes he pulled off the proposal. It is a moment of joy and relief, all at once. His whole world and future is right there in his arms. It is a wonderful moment.

Once Cecelia realized all that was happening, she asked Bobby, “Is that Weitzel?!” We all had a laugh as they have long talked about me being there to photograph this moment.

After I said hello, I stepped away for a few minutes, giving them the privacy and time they deserve to soak in their beautiful Quarton Lake proposal.

Afterwards, we walked along the lake, taking a few photos along the way to commemorate this special day.

While I generally don’t take or ask for selfies, this day was too special and memorable not to capture it. Best wishes you too; I am truly honored to have been a part of your lives and love story.