"YES"
SHE SAYS.
A Secret, a Ring, and a Little Field of Forever
The Plan
Lissa reached out to me with a little secret. She was planning to propose to her partner, Preeti, and wanted me there to capture the whole thing. She had bought a ring, made up her mind, and was ready to ask the question that would change their lives.
Preeti, of course, had absolutely no idea.
We made our plan, picked Sandhill Nursery as our location, and got ready for the big day. Everything was set. Well, almost everything. We had forgotten one tiny detail.
It was a weekend at Sandhill Nursery, probably one of the busiest days of the season, with hundreds of people around. Apparently, half of Ontario had decided that was the day to visit.
Some love stories begin with a date.
Some with a question.
And some begin with a photographer trying to find an empty patch of land on the busiest day of the season.
Finding Our Little Corner
Now, if you've been to Sandhill during fall, you know how beautiful it gets. Golden leaves, gorgeous trees, colours everywhere. A photographer's dream.
Except when you need a quiet spot for a surprise proposal, and every beautiful corner seems to have someone standing in it. Or walking through it. Or taking a picture of it.
We wandered around, looked for possibilities, and finally found our little corner near the far end of the nursery. An open field, slightly elevated ground, and a row of tall trees in the background. Just what we needed.
More importantly, no crowd.
At least, not in the immediate frame. A photographer learns to appreciate the little things.
"Oh, you would find her
in a Polaroid picture
And she means
everything to me..."
Just Another Photoshoot.
Or So She Thought.
Preeti had no clue what was coming. As far as she knew, this was simply a photoshoot with her partner.
I started guiding them through different poses. Stand here. Turn a little. Look at each other. Move this way. The usual instructions.
Then came the important one.
"Okay, now stand back to back, facing opposite directions."
Preeti turned away from Lissa, looking in the other direction. I looked at Lissa and gave her the signal.
And just like that, the plan went into action.
"Will You Marry Me?"
Lissa got down on one knee.
I can only imagine what was going through Preeti's mind when Lissa asked her to turn around. One moment, she was following a photographer's instructions. The next, she turned around to find the love of her life kneeling in front of her, holding a ring.
And then came those four magical words.
"Will you marry me?"
For a brief moment, everything else disappeared. The crowds, the nursery, the noise, the people wandering around looking at trees. None of it mattered anymore.
There was Lissa, there was Preeti, there was a ring, and there was a question that had been waiting for its moment.
And then came the answer.
Yes.
And Just Like That, Everything Changed.
I kept shooting, of course. That's what I was there for. But moments like these remind me that being a photographer is about much more than pressing a shutter.
There's the anticipation before the question, the surprise when it happens, the emotions that come rushing in, and the little moments afterwards when the reality of it all begins to sink in.
Once they had a little time to collect themselves, we started wandering around the nursery again, picking different spots and taking photographs.
Except now, something had changed.
They weren't just partners anymore. They were officially engaged. Two people who had just taken a big step towards the life they wanted to build together.
And the happiness on their faces? You didn't need a camera to see it. It was everywhere.
Gears Used
For the video, I used my Nikon Z8 with the 24-70mm f/2.8, shooting handheld at high frame rates. For the photographs, I had my Nikon D850 paired with the Nikon 105mm f/1.4.
Different tools, same purpose. To hold on to a moment that would otherwise pass in the blink of an eye.
Because one day, these photographs and videos won't just be about remembering what the proposal looked like. They'll be about remembering exactly how it felt.
THIS IS WHAT I RECEIVED FROM THEM
Every single photo beautifully captured the raw emotions, perfect lighting, and true purpose of the day. Razeeb knew exactly how to direct us, hype us up, and make us feel incredibly confident throughout the entire session. His communication from day 1 to actual session was great. He delivered the final gallery well ahead of the promised deadline, which was such a wonderful surprise, good choice of song too.
Highly recommended and will do business with him again. 🏳️🌈🏳️🌈
Lissa B.
Some moments deserve to be remembered forever, and we're so glad we chose Razeeb to capture ours. The entire experience was wonderful. Thank you for capturing memories that we'll look back on with a smile for years to come! ❤️
Preeti S.
I Came as a Stranger...
There's something I absolutely love about this job.
I arrive at a location, meet people I've never met before, spend a couple of hours walking around with them, talking, laughing, giving instructions, occasionally making a fool of myself, and trying to make them forget there's a camera pointed at them.
And then, somehow, I leave with new friends.
That's what happened with Lissa and Preeti, too. I came as a stranger and left having met two people madly in love with each other, standing at the beginning of a journey they had been waiting for.
There was so much love in the air that day. And so much happiness. The kind that makes you smile long after you've packed your camera bag and headed home.
Lissa and Preeti, thank you for trusting me with such a personal moment. It was a privilege to be part of your little secret and to witness the beginning of this next chapter in your lives.
Much love to you both. ❤️
And yes, I'm already excited about photographing your wedding. This time, we'll have a ring, a proposal, and a secret less to worry about.
See you again soon, you two.