Words: Erin Farren | Photos: Roberto Farren
Adding a few new bullet points to my photography assistant résumé, I recently helped Roberto with a sneak attack Boston proposal photo shoot. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but loads of fun, and it was amazing to capture the moment when 2 peoples’ lives change forever. Patrick got in touch with Roberto to discuss his surprise proposal, and it was exciting to be involved in the planning and buildup. They met in advance to discuss the route that Patrick would be taking with his soon-to-be fiancé, where Roberto should set up, the decoy (me!) and the back story.
Patrick had told Kerry that they were meeting his work colleagues for drinks and dinner. It is a relatively new job for Patrick, so Kerry was nervous about meeting lots of new people for the first time. They were to walk on a set path to the fictional party at a restaurant along the Boston waterfront’s Fan Pier. Roberto was going to be set up and taking photos of me in a pretend photo shoot, all the while sneakily snapping photos of them over my shoulder with a long range lens.
I tried to wear clothes that might pass for photo-ready, but at the last minute I panicked that I might get chilly and grabbed a fleece out of the car, completely ruining the effect. Regardless, I did my very best posing and Roberto snapped away while we kept our eyes peeled for Patrick and Kerry’s entrance. Roberto spotted them first, and gave me the signal (a surreptitious double cough) while he kept snapping away. Patrick walked right by us on his way to the place where he was going to pop the question, and they were chatting happily as they strolled along through the beautiful evening.
Patrick then led Kerry down onto the lower walkway, and she looked none the wiser until he dropped down on one knee.
I was facing away from the couple, but knew what was happening when I heard a sharp intake of breath from a couple of strangers that were sitting on a nearby bench. This is when I started babbling “Can I look? Can I look? Can I look?” to Roberto. Ever the professional, Roberto didn’t break cover until after Patrick was back on his feet and hugging Kerry, then I heard him tell her “And see that guy down there with the camera…?”
You could tell by her shaking hands and the shock on her face that Kerry was surprised, and she needed to sit for a moment to take it all in.
While she was catching her breath, Patrick filled her in on his sneaky planning and which members of her family were excitedly awaiting her phone call. After congratulations all around (did I mention that she said “yes”?) Roberto grabbed some photos of the newly engaged couple with the Boston skyline and the beautiful sunset as a backdrop.
You can see the happiness in their smiles, and Roberto and I wished them a happy engagement before they walked back into the sunset and towards home.
Surprise proposals are a whirlwind of emotion… hiring a covert Boston proposal photographer to help capture the memory can be a great idea! Get in touch with Roberto with any questions about proposal, engagement or wedding photography.
Thanks for reading,
Erin
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