Lee & Chelsea // A Mount Rainier Proposal

A couple of months prior to his proposal, Lee contacted me with his surprise proposal plan for Mt. Rainier. Although he and his girlfriend, Chelsea, were living in Ohio, he was planning a trip to Washington where he thought would be the perfect place to propose. A few years ago, he had visited Mt. Rainier with his dad, and knew Chelsea would not only love the location, but would love to have the moment photographed.

I, of course, was ecstatic! I loved that Lee had done his research to ensure this day was perfect for Chelsea.  We chatted back and forth, I scouted locations at Mt. Rainier and sent him pictures, and we setup a game plan to make sure we were both "in position" for when he dropped to one knee. As you probably know, there's no cell phone service where we were going, so it was crucial that we were on the same page! 

The day finally came, and I had butterflies in my stomach I was so pumped! I've witnessed only a few proposals in my life, and the feeling is just... so much joy! I made my way up the mountain, and waited for Lee & Chelsea. Around the corner they came, right on time, while I played the part of a typical tourist taking pictures of the scenery.  We were on a large plateau with no trees in sight, so I had to 'hide' in plain sight. Lee & Chelsea made their way across the plateau, and sat down together with their backs to me admiring the view.  I laid down on the grass and prepared myself for when they would get back up, and Lee would make his move. A few minutes went by, and they made their way to their feet. I could see them talking, and then Lee slowly got down on one knee......

IT WAS PERFECT. 

Chelsea was so surprised! I continued snapping away before walking over and formally introducing myself. From there, we hiked the rest of the trail for their engagement session! We saw mountain goats, deer, and even two bear cubs! We were thankful to have not seen mama bear, though, and gladly made it back to our cars before the night turned completely black :)  An amazing day with an adventurous couple!  Lee & Chelsea- I can't thank you enough for being so cool and down to earth.  Congratulations, again, on your engagement!