Kari Layland Photography - The Blog

On September 11th, I got this email from a guy named Gino:
"Hello Kari, I have been searching online for photographers for several weeks and I really like the style of your pictures. I am interested in a photo shoot with my girlfriend. I would like to surprise her and propose to her during the shoot so I we can have pictures to remeber it. Would this be something you would be interested in doing? Thanks, Gino."

Of course, I was all over the idea, and thrilled to be a part of it! I'd always wanted to do a shoot like this. So we discussed the details, decided on Battle Creek park on October 1st, the 1 yr anniversary of Gino and his girlfriend's first date.
A couple weeks later, my meddling pal Mandi decided it was time for Bob and I to get engaged, so she started posting not subtle at all comments on both of our myspace pages, telling Bob he should buy me an engagement ring. Little did she know he had already done so and was putting together his sneaky suprise all the while.

But, he did notice the comments and texted me with a sarcastic "Did you put her up to this?" to which I said no of course.

Our text message conversation that night ended up going to where he wrote, "I'm under pressure to ask you in a way that won't be lame", and then "I don't want it to be a holiday thing. Maybe this spring".

To which I said, " Spring? Don't tell me this stuff, it ruins the suprise and I'd go insane wondering."

Well then he said, "Ok, it won't be spring. I'm going to stop talking now before I do any more damage."

At that point, I started getting suspicious. Based on that response there was definitely a plan in the works....

The next day, he changed his myspace status to "sneaky", which totally tipped me off, and things started to come together in my mind. I talked to my mom over the weekend and told her I had my suspicions, but wouldn't say anything just in case I was wrong.

Cut to Wednesday, October first. Bob got ready for work and left at his usual time. At 4 o clock, I arrived at Battle Creek Park for the shoot, a little suspicious but still planning on documenting a special moment for a couple I had never met before. They arrived a few minutes later and we started a couples engagement style photo shoot.

Anyway, the plan was to meet at one end of the park and take pictures as we walk toward the other end, where he'd have a table set up with flowers, and that's where he'd propose to her. So I went along with this as planned, and ended up at the decorated table.

So she sat down on the bench, and he got down on one knee and proposed. She gave him the funniest look, and I was thinking "oh crap, she's going to say no!" and then she said, "What are you doing? We're already married!" and said this over and over again.

See Bob, sneaking up in the background? I saw that and was pissed that some guy kept getting in my shot, lol!
At this point my suspicions had subsided a bit during our shoot, and when she said they're already married I started thinking of a drunken scenario in Vegas that he must have forgotten about, lol! But just as I had this elaborate story forming in my head, Bob showed up and handed me a white rose, told me some very sweet things that I couldn't repeat because I was too caught up to really pay attention to what he was saying.
Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him! Of course I said yes!
He stood up, I gave him big kiss, then looked over to my right to see my friend and assistant Shawna snapping pictures.

Wow, I must say, he definitely put in a great effort. I think I've got a keeper!
It looks even better in person.


So it ends up that Gino is a guy who worked with Bob at the airport several years ago, and who I've never met, obviously! Nice work Bob, it was definitely a very memorable moment!

By the way, we're looking at either May 23rd or 30th for our wedding date. Now, the planning!..........