DeShawn & Erin | Sedona Proposal & Engagement
Deshawn and Erin originally met while hiking in Sedona: they were both visiting on separate vacations there and they just so happened to cross paths on Wilson Mountain Trail. The then-strangers struck up a conversation, and the rest is history! When Deshawn reached out to me he knew exactly what his vision was for his proposal to Erin, and planned on going back to Wilson Mountain Trail to recreate the moment they met and make that spot even more special for them. The couple flew into Flagstaff airport, and Deshawn drove them right to the trailhead where I was hiding so I could document the moment when it arrived.
The plans for the day were very fluid, up in the air in every way, and as I drove to the spot in anticipation of meeting up with Deshawn and Erin my eyes were glued to the storm clouds that seemed to be gathering in the sky. When I got to the location it was sprinkling, and as I scouted out the area and checked for updates from Deshawn the light downpour continued. He was definitely nervous and was super careful not to give anything away to Erin, and he kept me posted as they landed, deplaned, and picked up their rental car. All we could do at that point was hope all the moving parts fell into place! But once again, my plan to just put my trust in the universe and her cosmic timing worked out. Deshawn wasn’t alone in being nervous that everything would pan out but I was determined to make this a special day for both of them and was so happy that he had put so much trust in me to help him bring his grand, romantic vision to life and make sure everything went smoothly.
In the end, since the rain didn’t seem to be letting up, Deshawn decided he didn’t want to hike too far down the trail and that he just wanted to pop the question at the trailhead so that Erin didn’t get too suspicious. When he finally did get down on one knee, there were plenty of tourists around to cheer and celebrate with them and Erin was totally shocked and delighted that this moment had finally come and that it had happened in such a special spot. After the celebration, I introduced myself to Erin and we sprayed champagne before he hiked down towards the bridge near where we had met up so we could get more photos of the couple directly after the big moment.
Since the couple had come straight from the airport they were in super comfy-casual outfits, but Deshawn hadn’t wanted to come up with an excuse for Erin to wear fancier, more uncomfortable clothes on the plane in case she started to catch on, so he arranged for me to meet back up with them later that evening closer to golden hour. This way they had time to celebrate just the two of them and change into dressier outfits before doing the second part of the session! This is also a great way to get both candid, in the moment shots during the proposal itself, and then take the more planned, posed shots that are great for wedding announcements and invites once everything has had a chance to sink in and the couple has the opportunity to get ready in any way they want to.
I met back up with them later that day and we drove down Red Rock Loop, a gorgeous, scenic drive there in Sedona, and stopped and two different spots along it. First up was Lover’s Knoll, which offers beautiful views of Cathedral Rock and the valley below, and then Secret Slip Rock which is a bit further down the loop and provides breathtaking views of the Cathedral as well as amazing red rock plateaus.
Not only is Deshawn and Erin’s love story so touching and unique, but they’re a great example of how you can 100% plan a surprise engagement regardless of how much or little you know about how you want the day to go. Helping couples bring these special moments to fruition is absolutely a passion of mine, and regardless of how daunting it can feel to “pull off” such a big, exciting surprise, it can always be done with lots of amazing, candid photos to remember your life-changing day by!
