Last Updated on March 24, 2024 by Sandra Adamson
A Sweet Surprise Marriage Proposal and Engagement Shoot, A Love Story…with Andrea and Ben
Have you ever thought about how to make a surprise marriage proposal a moment to remember forever? Have every single moment captured and followed up with an impromptu engagement session! Imagine you are walking along in the beautiful Halifax Public Gardens when your significant other gets down on one knee…surprise!
The Love Story
Ben and Andrea met on the first day of French class in Grade 11. She had just moved to Ottawa. Ben happened to be in the same class as she was. He remembers Andrea singing before class began like nobody was listening. They shared a lot of mutual friends and thus became casual friends themselves. They would see other in the halls, but never outside of school.
During Ben’s first year of university, Andrea went to England for a year. They both went through breakups early that school year and found themselves chatting online from different time zones. When Ben came back to Ottawa for the Christmas break, they decided to meet up downtown to catch up. They had a lovely time at the Byward Market. Andrea then received a gift card for an escape room as a birthday gift, Ben was an obvious choice for her to invite. After reconnecting and spending time together, they realized it could be more than a friendship. The next six months spent in different countries meant a long time to figure out where they stood, but coming back that summer was a wonderful reunion. After five years of living between Kingston and Ottawa, Ben finally moved to join Andrea in Kingston after being accepted to Queen’s University. That time showed them how much they really cared, and how far they were willing to travel to be together. Andrea and Ben are now living happily together with their pet dog (Chai) and parrot (Ollie).
How was the Question Popped?
When Andrea and Ben decided they were taking a trip out to Halifax Ben knew it was the right time to ask Andrea the question. He enlisted the help of a friend of Andrea’s to take her to get her nails done in preparation for pretty pictures and made sure they were both dressed nicely for the occasion. Ben told Andrea that the Public Garden visit was one they should dress nicely for so they could take some nice photos on her phone to post after the trip. This was a surefire way to get Andrea into a pretty dress!
The Surprise Proposal Photos
For the big moment, Ben chose the Halifax Public Gardens for a few reasons: first, it was the first most natural picturesque location in the area, and secondly, because they had already discussed visiting the spot. Ben knew it wouldn’t arouse suspicion. Both Ben and Andrea are also avid gardeners, so the floral scenery was ideal. Ben chose to propose in Halifax because he knew it would be unexpected and make the trip something neither of them would ever forget.
The Engagement Photos
Andrea and Ben chose quite a few engagement photos here are some of their favorites.
Advice for Newly Engaged Couples
Enjoy being engaged – within one day people asked when the wedding was, where the wedding would be, what we had planned, and every other detail imaginable. We chose to only tell people who knew Ben was proposing that I had said yes for the first week; this gave us time to enjoy being newly engaged without feeling pressured to be already planning a wedding. This is a big step and a fun moment, there is no need to rush it.
Wedding Resources
1. For great wedding planning ideas visit the knot and weddingwire!
Capturing your L❤VE story is my passion…let’s chat!