Townhouse Proposal

“Mas! I am getting kicked out” I texted him. “We have to go with the Townhouse proposal!”

A few weeks ago, Mas texted me out of the blue. It is always good to hear from your wedding vendor friends, especially in the midst of the season. As wonderful as a job as it is, it takes a special personality to enjoy the stress that comes along with the job. However, Mas wasn’t calling to commiserate, he was calling for something far more important – he was going to propose to his girlfriend Kieu. I was so excited for Mas when he said this. Months ago, Mas, Becky, and myself were talking over dinner at a wedding we were both working (Mas is the owner of Unscripted Films and a joy to work with) when Becky inquired about Kieu. Mas, who is, respectfully, more reserved, proudly said that she was the one and it was just a matter of time before he proposed. We were so happy to hear this as Mas is so deserving of an equally special partner.

When Mas said he was going to be proposing and wanted my help, I was honored. I know he has a lot of friends in the industry and like so many other gigs, to share such a special moment with a friend truly creates a bond that I cherish. There was just one problem – I was booked on not one, but two days that Mas wanted to propose and with other proposals! Mas said he was willing to wait, so we looked at our calendars and picked the date – September 13th. Next, we go to work planning.

Mas wanted a private proposal with a city feel. I immediately thought of another proposal I shot with a gorgeous view of Detroit. We went to location scout but there was just one problem – the parking garage was closed. We explored the city and found another garage with an identical view. It was perfect! Now, all we had to do was wait.

As the day approached, everything was coming into place – nice weather, good lighting, and Mas’s story as to why Kieu had to dress up. As I packed up to head downtown, Mas called me. “Hey, just in case something happens, let’s have a Plan B in place. If we need to, let’s move it to a Townhouse proposal, and use teh black arches as a backdrop.” Sounds good. In all the years I have photographed a proposal, I have never had anything go wrong or need a Plan B so I wasn’t worried.

I got to the location, took the elevator to the top floor, set up the camera in a conspicuous place to capture the proposal on film, and waited patiently for Mas to arrive. I sent him a quick, cryptic text to let him know we are good to go…that is when it all started to fall apart.

Immediately after, a white sedan with yellow flashing lights pulls up and inquires what is going on. Why is a random person hiding in the stairwell with a propped door? Despite explaining that a proposal was about to happen and paying to park there, the security guard was not feeling the love and asked me to leave. (He was cool, kind, and respectful about it.) Now, we had a problem: I had to communicate with Mas about the Townhouse proposal, beat him there, and confirm the new plan. In the end, it all worked out.

As Mas rounded the corner, I hid in the nearby greenery and signaled to him where to stand while he distracted Kieu. She was a little confused as to why Mas randomly stopped, but once he started to get the ring out of his bag, it all began to click. Kieu’s reaction was priceless. She couldn’t stop smiling the whole time.

Kieu had no idea I was there until Mas pointed me out. She was shocked and pleasantly surprised at the thoughtfulness of Mas to document such a special moment.

After a little celebration, we spent the rest of the evening shooting a mini engagement shoot to commemorate their Townhouse proposal in Detroit.