Surprise wedding proposal!

Did you have a surprise proposal?

Yash & Priyanka’s* wedding proposal happened in Galway, much to Priyanka’s happy surprise! (*) not their real names

Yash contacted me in advance from the United States. He lives in New York, Priyanka on the west coast so they travelled separately to Ireland, a few days apart. They met in Galway & were staying on the east side of the city. Neither had visited the city before & they were travelling around by public transport.

On the given morning, I met Yash alone in the Quadrangle in the NUIG university grounds. We set out our plans of where he’d propose & where I’d wait with my camera, out of view. He was plotting a treasure trail & laying clues for her to follow. Apparently this is a thing they do so she wasn’t suspicious.

I suppose in hindsight, sending someone on a puzzle with clues around an unknown city was probably going to run into trouble.

So Priyanka arrived in the Quad 2hrs late for our 2hr shoot ?

The newly engaged couple!

It was quiet around the Quad that morning. There was restoration work being carried out so there were several workmen, but most of them were high up on scaffolding & out of sight.

Finally, Yash gave me the signal to let me know Priyanka had arrived. With my eye up to the camera with telephoto lens I had the couple in my sight. They were walking up to the “proposal spot” when all of a sudden my viewfinder was full of …… a tourist’s behind. Whaaaaat?! A couple of guys seemed to appear from nowhere. One of them, intrigued by the couple but oblivious to me, inadvertently stood right between my lens & the couple.

I was in danger of missing THEE shots so I let out a yelp & hollered for him to move. He took umbrage, but thankfully he moved. (Later, I explained & apologised)

If you’re wondering who was clapping at a surprise proposal – it was the workmen. They obviously caught on to what was happening & started clapping once they realised she’d said YES! By then the tourists realised too & joined in.