#bjyooled – will you marry me?
With the #bjyooled wedding coming up just around the corner (what. in. the. world.) I figured there’s no better time to share the behind the scenes of the proposal.
I’ve photographed many a proposal–at a lake, in a cave, by the ocean, etc. etc. but watching my own brother get on his knee was a whole new experience.
The very flesh and blood you put up with, annoyed, and fought for the first 17-ish years of life–the one you hated to love and loved to hate and eventually grew to love–that existence (once the bane of your existence) declares he is ready to commit to loving, serving, and laying down his life for one special lady... forever.
But first, he gotta get her “yes.”
With gusto, I gave him my blessing and we began to brainstorm immediately. Strings of incognito texts via Snapchat ensued, peppered between a few face-to-face convos.
Here’s how the day started: carbs on carbs on carbs.
The plan? I’d ask Julia to hang out one-on-one, venture into the city for food and a photoshoot (we had shot before–the gorgeous gal is a natural model). It had to be a certain day with the excuse being my out of state move was approaching and I could only make that day work, cause you know, I’m a hot commodity.
Being the chill soul that she is, Julia was down for anything.
The day came and all fear dissipated that she might postpone–she stuck to the original scheJule. I picked up Julia, drove 30 minutes to San Francisco, and we went to town on appetizers at Neighbor Bakehouse. Then onwards to Tartine Manufactory for the real meal, plus sauntering through boutiques nearby.
Oh wait, let’s rewind a couple weeks.
February 11, 2018 – a day of location scouting all over the bay from Fremont to SF, disguised under the annual Yoo sib quality time. Plan A, Plan B, and many other options to consider in between. Mighty windy then too.
And we’re back at Marshall Beach, overlooking Golden Gate Bridge on February 24, 2018.
A 10-minute walk from the parking lot puts us in the spot Brian and I had scoped out. Thankfully, no tourists or locals are hovering by the lookout.
We’re taking some tester shots when ravenous winds howl all around us. Suffering under some fierce windchill and skirt blowing out of control, Julia asks multiple times if she can change into pants.
“Wait, let’s just shoot a little more. The lighting looks great right now. Can you stand over there?”
Internally, I’m yelling at Brian–come. out. of. hiding. n-o-w!
Julia probably wondered what in the heck was wrong with me at this point. Model abuse.
What seemed like forever later, this guy popped up out of nowhere.
She knew what was up. It was a faux-toshoot.
Tbh, I’m not sure what was going on here. A little wrestling,
and a whole lotta laughin’.
[Insert romantic words I could not hear]
Commence the longest and funniest reaction to the infamous single-kneed question.
“Should I get down on my knee, too?”
“Ok, I pledge allegiance...”
