Recently Chance got to photograph his first ever proposal! It was a super exciting time for us, for a few reasons: 1, We had our proposal photographed, so we knew how special it would be, and 2, Caleb and Michelle are very dear to us and we were so excited to be able to share in this very special moment in their lives!

Here’s how Caleb’s proposal plan went down: Michelle was working at a local cafe for the evening. Caleb and Michelle’s friend who also works at the cafe came in and stood in line at the register. He handed her a note and said, “This is from Caleb…and I’m taking your shift for the rest of the night”. Michelle stared at him in disbelief, the wheels turning in her head as she figured out what was going on. I was lucky enough to be in the corner of the cafe watching this entire thing unfold with a bunch of our friends, who already knew this was going to happen and couldn’t resist watching the moment of Michelle’s surprise! So Michelle read her letter from Caleb, which told her to take the money enclosed and go shopping to buy a new dress and to spend some time getting ready, and that we would be taking her to an undisclosed location for dinner later in the evening. Michelle was SO excited and off we went to go shopping! We picked out a million different dresses around downtown Peterborough for Michelle to try on; of course, she ended up picking one of the first ones she tried on, and then we were off to start getting ready! A group of Michelle’s girlfriends were blessed to be able to spend this time with her as she prepared for her impending engagement. Caleb and Michelle love their community, and I know that Michelle couldn’t have been happier to be surrounded by friends! But soon the time came for me to drive Michelle to the mystery location- Jackson Park in Peterborough. We blindfolded Michelle, and when we drove up to where Caleb was standing, I knew that this was going to be an absolutely amazing evening for them. He met her at the door and led her gently down the path towards a clearing in the woods where he had set up their dinner. They were both dressed in their bright whites and the late day sun was beaming down so beautifully on them…it was picture-perfect and a moment I will not soon forget! And thankfully Chance was there in the forest where Caleb proposed to actually capture some of the beautiful memories for everyone else to see! You can see what followed in the photos below. Caleb took her blindfold off, they shared a meal that Caleb had prepared (lasagna and apple crisp, two of Michelle’s favorites), Caleb took Michelle into the river where he washed her feet (a Christian tradition based on Jesus’ actions, depicting service, humility and love), and then he proposed, and she of course said yes!

Chance had a blast being the sketchy guy hiding in the woods with a camera 😉 A few people he knows saw him while he was in the park and almost ruined the surprise, but he managed to make it the whole time without Michelle seeing him! From start to finish it was a magical evening and we couldn’t be happier for Caleb and Michelle. The best part is, I will be blogging about their wedding before you know it- their wedding is on September 21st! We can’t wait!

-Mary Austin Faulkner
Wife and Secretary, Chance Faulkner Photography