Luke and Justin’s Blue Ridge Surprise Proposal

North Georgia Engagement | Atlanta Photographer

Lake blue Ridge Engagement Session // North Georgia Photographer

There’s nothing quite like a surprise proposal on a beautifully sunny day, especially in the North Georgia mountains. What was supposed to be a gloomy day ended up being an absolute stunner and one Justin and Luke will remember forever! But first, let’s get into the details…

Luke reached out last summer looking for a photographer to surprise his partner, Justin, with a proposal while they were visiting Blue Ridge with friends. They had rented a big Airbnb overlooking Lake Blue Ridge and while he didn’t have an exact plan ahead of time (which is where I come in), the general idea was there and we started working towards an actual plan. While brainstorming plans, we weren’t 100% sure if the Airbnb had direct lake access so I took a little trip up there to scout and come up with some ideas for Luke.

As the day got closer, the plan we had started to need a backup, as the weather was looking like it would rain most the of the afternoon. Not deterred by weather, the plan became to propose at the Airbnb and then drive down to the lake and take photos there afterward. Of course, the universe had different plans because by the time the day of the proposal rolled around, the weather couldn’t be more beautiful and Luke decided to keep the back up plan in place so it would come as more of a surprise.

That afternoon, in true stealthy mode, I snuck onto the back deck of Airbnb, where Luke planned to propose at an agreed upon time. There were windows everywhere so I had to army crawl my way from the front of the house to the back deck (okay, I am exaggerating but it’s a funny image, right?). Once I was set up and ready, I continued to hide until I heard Luke and Justin come outside and once they were facing each other, I knew that was my cue! I immediately started taking photos, trying to be as discreet as possible (although, this is tricky when a random person pops up on your private back deck). After Justin said “yes” and they spent a few moments soaking it in, I finally came over to congratulate them and celebrate. When we walked back inside the house, their friends had quickly set up a mini engagement party for them and had champagne ready to toast the newly engaged couple. It was a beautiful sight to behold, truly.

After spending some time celebrating with their friends, Luke, Justin, and I headed down to Lake Blue Ridge for some engagement photos. Again, talk about a gorgeous day to be on the lake! Luke and Justin spent time loving on each other, cuddling, running around, and just generally being joyful over their new status as “engaged”. We had most of the beach to ourselves and as the sun made its way through the day, we followed it to get a variety of shots in different spots around the lake. From the beach to the shoreline to the forest, their engagement session had a little bit of everything!

Thinking of planning a surprise proposal for your partner in Georgia? Reach out today to get started!