A Surprise Proposal Party

Sunday was such an exciting day! My cousin Amber and her boyfriend of four years, Luke, became engaged! Y’all might remember Amber and Luke from this post from last year. Luke has been feeling like part of the family for a while, so it’s super exciting that he’ll now officially be part of our family. I think we all knew Luke was the one for Amber the first time we met him. He just fit into our family from day one. It wasn’t a matter of “if” they would get married as much as it was “when” they would get married. So I could hardly contain my excitement when my Aunt Lori (Amber’s mom) called me a few weeks ago and told me that Luke was going to propose to Amber. Luke wanted to surprise Amber with an impromptu celebration the evening of the proposal and they wanted me to be there to capture the surprise.  I think we were all about to burst over keeping such a big secret! Aren’t surprises so much fun!?

So this past Sunday afternoon, Luke took Amber out for what Amber thought was a typical Sunday lunch. They ended up at Camp Beckwith (where Amber and Luke first met as camp counselors) and it was there that Luke got down on one knee and asked for Amber’s hand. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Amber, we were all waiting back at my aunt’s house with champagne. I don’t know how Luke did it, but he kept a straight face and told Amber that he hadn’t told her parents he was proposing that day. They drove all the way back to Mobile with Amber thinking no one knew she was engaged and how surprised everyone would be when they told them. Even when they pulled into the driveway and saw additional cars, Amber wasn’t suspicious. She just thought we all “happened” to drop by the house by coincidence! It wasn’t until they were walking into the house that Amber realized the surprise was on her! “Did they know?” she asked Luke. “They knew! Didn’t they?!” Luke couldn’t keep it in any longer. Smiles were abundant and we all cheered as they walked inside. We toasted the happy couple and laughed heartily as Luke and Amber told us the story of the proposal. It was such a fun moment to capture! Such a fantastic fleeting moment for such a wonderful couple! Congratulations Amber and Luke! The whole family shares in your joy and we look forward to your wedding day! 🙂