Grayson Highlands Proposal – Ben & MK

You guys I just shot my very first proposal session and it was even more magical and amazing than I imagined it would be! I’ve wanted to shoot a surprise proposal session ever since I got into photography and so when Ben contacted me a few months ago, I was over the moon excited.

Not only was it a proposal session, but Ben wanted to have the beautiful mountain backdrop of Grayson Highlands State Park. The sweetest part was that this wasn’t JUST a pretty place for a proposal, but this is where Ben and his soon to be fiance, Mary Katherine, had their first date so it was also super sentimental. Ben and Mary Katherine both love spending time together outdoors and luckily so do Casey and I, so of course I brought him along as my second shooter and hiking buddy.

It was about a twenty minute hike up to the proposal location and although it had been calling for possible thunderstorms, luckily it was just a little cloudy when we got up there. Ben was so meticulous with the maps and photos of the exact spot (he even gave me the exact latitude and longitude coordinates, lol), but I was still a little nervous that we might not have been in the right spot. Casey and I got our cameras ready and sat down, taking in the gorgeous mountain views and the crisp morning air.

About twenty minutes later we heard a group of people coming towards us and we knew this must be them. Ben had invited 6 of their close friends to go hiking with them “for Earth Day” and all of them were in on his secret proposal plan. They decided to stop and have a water break and Ben lured Mary Katherine away from the crowd by telling her he saw a wild pony in the distance… this is a real possibility in the Grayson Highlands because there are actually a lot of wild ponies that roam the area. Before Casey and I could even get up and get into place he hopped down on one knee and popped the question.

Mary Katherine was in total shock… like TOTAL shock y’all, and it was so so sweet. She said yes and couldn’t get her jaw up off the floor from staring at the big beautiful ring Ben picked out. They came back over to the group and were embraced in one big group hug. She couldn’t believe everyone knew about it except her and he had even hired a professional photographer. One of the guys pulled out a bottle of champagne and some solo cups and Mary Katherine could not get over how surprised she was.

It was such a fun morning full of surprise, hugs and champagne celebration and I am so happy I was able to be a part of it. Now this couple will be able to look back on such a sweet memory for the rest of their lives and show all their friends and family the beautiful scene. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they will choose me to capture their official engagement and wedding photos because they were absolutely the sweetest couple ever. Once again, Congrats Ben and MK!

XOXO,

Alayna

NC Engagement Photographer NC proposal   

  1. Jo mears says:

    This brought tears to my eyes. I wish you both the very best as you begin this journey ❤️❤️❤️

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