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Proud pup mom, type A creative, lover of the outdoors, Top Chef fan girl, and wedding and portrait photographer. Welcome to the blog!
HI, I'M RACHEL!
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micro WEDDINGS
elopements
Susan and Blake are engaged! Blake popped THE question this weekend during his National Arboretum surprise proposal, to which Susan of course responded with a resounding YES!
Blake put so much thought into creating a special experience for Susan at their National Arboretum surprise proposal and it was so much fun to photograph! Blake currently lives in Florida and Susan is in NYC, so they convened in D.C. for the long fourth of July weekend to spend time with Blake’s family and their friends in the area. Little did Susan know, but Blake arranged for her whole family to fly in for the proposal! His family was there as well, and it was so fun for everyone to be a part of the big moment.
Now how to get Susan to the National Arboretum after hours in the middle of the summer? Good question! haha Blake told Susan they were going to a benefit for the preservation of national monuments – brilliant! He took it a step further by telling her they needed to hike up the hill to the old capitol columns so they could have a better view to find where the party was being held. Smooth, Blake!
Once at the backside of the columns, Blake took the opportunity to pull off his National Arboretum surprise proposal! He dropped to one knee and asked Susan to be his wife! Ahhh!
Where were the rest of us, you ask? Well I was hiding in some tall grasses, probably not very well hidden because there really was nowhere to be inconspicuous! haha I was pretty far away so as to stay out of sight, so I was able to get the entire view of the columns in the proposal shot! Woot woot! Susan and Blake’s families were even further behind me, hiding in some trees with binoculars. This National Arboretum surprise proposal was a super top secret mission!
After Susan said yes, I hiked up to meet them for a few portraits, and then their families came over to celebrate! It was so fun watching Susan show off her new Tiffany & Co. engagement ring and seeing everyone hug and congratulate the happy couple! Everyone was genuinely so excited and I could feel the love emulating from the entire clan.
We spent the rest of the evening taking portraits of the newly engaged love birds, ending just in time before a huge storm rolled through. We had moved the proposal up a little to avoid the weather, and it ended up working out perfectly! We even got some really sweet shots towards the end with storm clouds behind the columns! We could hear thunder and everything!
Big congrats and best wishes to Blake and Susan, and their families!
Did this post get you excited to book your own wedding, elopement, or engagement session?! If yes, send me a note and we can chat about what you have in mind: contact me
Hi – I’m Rachel! A wedding, engagements, and headshots photographer in Washington, D.C., Maryland, and northern Virginia. I love taking photos of elegant people who love to laugh, as well as of much in-love couples. If you’re a dog owner, that’s a plus! I’m currently booking 2019 portrait sessions, as well as 2019 and 2020 weddings.
HELLO@RACHELEHPHOTOGRAPHY.COM
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Rachel is a wedding and portrait photographer
Serving brilliant, elegant couples in Washington D.C. + Beyond
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