Every now and then, we all have an opportunity to be a part of something special & amazing, where things just come together, fall in place and feel perfect.

Such was my experience the day I photographed Richard & Kim’s engagement, everything just fell in place and worked! A few days prior to this amazing day, I met Richard at a coffee shop to understand what he planned for his proposal and to discuss time, venue, and most importantly, strategy. After all this proposal was going to be a surprise! Kim knew this day was coming, she just didn’t know how, when and where it was going to happen. The idea was that I would be hiding in plain sight. To say I was nervous, would be an understatement, I’d never done something like this before.

As I sat in the coffee shop and listened to Richard, I couldn’t help but notice the affection with which he spoke about Kim, the journey that he’s shared with her so far and how they’ve come to this point in their lives where he has decided to pledge his love to Kim and ask her to be his wife. At that moment I knew I had to do whatever it took to make this shoot as special as I could for them.

For the next hour or so, Richard and I sat and pored over the details of timing, location and all kinds of logistics to make sure everything was perfect. The venue was fixed, it was to happen in front of Philadelphia’s gorgeous City Hall. I told Richard that I would scout the area the next day to get a sense of exactly where he should propose so that I could not only ensure a great backdrop for their photos, but also be discreet while in full view. Since there was a bit of construction happening on Broad Street, I told Richard the next day that the best spot would be just a little south of the Union League building, he agreed.

On the day, as I stood in the middle of Broad street, pretending to take photos of the iconic and probably the most photographed structure in Philadelphia, Richard & Kim walked past me holding hands. Kim was completely oblivious to what was going to unfold; in fact in a later conversation, she’d apparently told Richard that they should get out of the way of this “photographer” who’s trying to take photos of City Hall! As soon as they walked past me, I had only a few moments to shift gears and be prepared for the proposal. Before I knew it, Richard was down on one knee…..I clicked away furiously! It all lasted only for a few seconds and before I knew it, Kim had said, “Yes!”. Richard, who was beaming from ear to ear, turned to me and asked, “Did you get it?” and I sheepishly nodded back with a grin and a thumbs up! Kim was perplexed and emotional and then suddenly it all made sense to her, Richard had been planning this all along and I wasn’t “just a photographer” taking photos of City Hall, I was there to take photos of them!

What ensued was a delightful evening of fun and laughter as we took photographs and strolled through the Ritz Carlton, Dilworth Plaza and a few back alleys of Philadelphia. Richard & Kim seemed lost in each other and I could tell just by looking how happy they were as they just enjoyed being with each other and celebrating this special day.

I couldn’t be happier about how everything fell in place and more importantly, I couldn’t feel luckier to have had the opportunity to photograph this lovely couple on one of their most special days. I wish them the very best and feel particularly glad to now be able to call them my friends.

P.S. It was also Kim’s birthday!

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Falling In Place - Richard & Kim