It’s hard to believe, but Omar first reached out to Sarah and I about capturing his surprise proposal six months ago! Way back in February, he and I first started chatting and laying plans for his big ask, which he was hoping would happen in mid-April. Since he and his then-girlfriend Lauren are both in healthcare, their schedules were already a bit hectic and scattered. Then, well, you know… COVID. The two of them both went into full disaster-response mode and getting engaged took the backseat, for a time at least. Then, in late-May as life began to settle into a sort of new normal, he reached back out to us! After lots of emails back and forth, and several scouting trips by Omar and Sarah and I, the plans were laid.

 

Although Lauren and Omar both went to UVA for their undergrad and met at the University, Omar didn’t want to propose in the center of the Lawn with the Rotunda behind. He knew that his soon-to-be-fiancée would appreciate something a bit more unique. So we narrowed down from a list of almost a dozen possible spots until we landed on the lower portion of Garden IX. The converging trails meant that “X marked the spot”, and planning would be relatively simple. When Lauren and Omar walked into the garden, Lauren was expecting to be meeting some friends for a work function taking place in the garden. She probably didn’t even notice Sarah chatting away on her phone outside the garden, and didn’t think much of the guy with the man bun laying on a blanket and reading a book. And a few seconds later, she probably wasn’t thinking much of anything as Omar shocked her by getting down on one knee!

 

Lauren + Omar,

We are SO glad that we were finally able to make this work for you two! Lauren, you’d probably be surprised at how much effort Omar has put into planning this proposal over the last six months, all without you suspecting a thing! And your reaction was just perfect. The teary eyes, the huge smile, the mix of shock and confusion and elation — we felt so blessed to be able to be a part of that special moment! And your repeated, “I’m obsessed with this!” as you ogled at your new piece of bling brought a huge smile to Sarah and I’s faces. Well done on picking out that ring, Omar!

 

With love,
Hunter + Sarah

 

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If you’re interested in speaking with Hunter and I about your own surprise, click HERE to get in contact with us!

 

If you’d like to view more of our engagement sessions, click HERE to view our portfolio!