The Proposal
Meet Andy & Gigi - I shot this wonderful couple's engagement December of 2019. While this wasn't my first surprise engagement shoot, this was my first time working with a full team and being apart of the set up process. Andy had a great idea of proposing at a winery near Malibu, it is a beautiful location. The plan was to arrive, set up and at the right time Andy would walk Gigi down to a "Marry Me" sign and other decorations with the mountains and vineyard providing a spectacular backdrop.
Generally, I like to arrive early, scope out the location and get my camera settings ready to shoot. After pulling up to the gate, I call the number I was instructed to call to enter property, no answer. No problem, that's also why I get to a location early. After a few more attempts at contacting the vendor with no response, I start to panic. "Will I have time to set up? Can I get the shots I need with limited time? Will they ever open the gate?"
Finally, someone comes to my rescue. Driving up the hill, I get a message from a member of the team telling me they got a flat tire, and he has all the decorations! Once I enter the parking area, it becomes apparent that this photo shoot might call for some quick thinking and adjustments. To top it off, the actual location is not as easy to find as anticipated. After walking round for a while, I stopped and asked one of the workers (setting up an event) for directions, no help.
About an hour and a half after I arrived the other part of the team makes it with the decorations with more exciting news, Andy and Gigi were already there. Not only were they there but they were in the area on the way to where the photo shoot and set up would be. Time to deploy panic mood. Luckily, I hadn't meet Gigi before, meaning she wouldn't recognize me if we crossed paths. Grabbing as much as I could I ran to the location.
We made it just in time, they couldn't hold it any longer. As Andy walked Gigi down she sees the space and is in complete shock yelling "BABE, NO WAY, BABE!"
Congratulations to Andy & Gigi! What a wonderful couple and a fun day!
