We all dream of a proposal moment that takes our breathe away and is captured by photos that will last a lifetime. That is exactly what Stephanie received when Stephen surprised her with a ring during a Valentines Day photo session. This isn’t just any proposal though, this one involves a leather bound booklet containing vows, a wondrous Australian overlook, and a whole lot of love poured into every detail. You are going to want to read this story!
How did you meet?
I (Stephanie) worked with a mutual friend of Stephen’s and asked if she knew anyone single. The friend mentioned Stephen’s name and eight months of social media stalking later… our paths finally crossed. We organized a date that lasted 11 hours as neither of us wanted the date to end! The rest is history.
What is your proposal story?
I (Stephen) started thinking about how I would propose to Steph a very long time ago. Just before Christmas, Steph and I entered a competition to win a couples adventure photography session with James Harber (Who Shot The Photographer). After meeting with James, he let us know that we had won. At this point, my mind started flooding with ideas and I thought, ‘How romantic would it be to propose to Steph during the shoot!’. By chance, our session was booked in for Valentines Day. Months of prep, planning and groundwork to throw Steph off the scent ensued. After travelling from Canberrato, the Kangaroo Valley, we checked into a small and rustic cottage that I had organized to be set up with flowers, photos and candles. I further threw Steph off the scent by claiming it was a Valentines surprise. After checking in, we met up with James at the trailhead of the Drawing Room Rocks near Berry.
I had the ring hidden in a first aid kit within my hiking pack. Once arriving at the top and taking in the sights, Steph and I noticed a cut on her foot which required first aid and of course, I had a first aid kit. I managed to relocate the ring to my back pocket without her noticing and from there, we proceeded to read each other some nice words we had written. When it was my turn I presented Steph with a handmade leather notebook containing my vows to her. Unbeknownst to her, it also contained photos with her family that I had printed on the day I asked for their blessing along with written messages from other family members and pictures from our relationship. After reading out my vows to Steph, I gathered my emotions, got down on one knee and asked her to be my forever.
Tell us about the ring/band.
It is a claw set diamond with a halo setting and a rose gold band.
Tell us about your engagement shoot outfits and accessories.
Stephanie was wearing a Zara dress and Stephen was wearing a button up shirt and chinos from Connor.