A surprise wedding proposal for Cara
When childhood friends make a commitment for life, there’s just something a bit more special in the air, don’t you think? That’s exactly what happened on 1 April 2021, when I was asked to be part of a well-planned and well-thought-out surprise engagement proposal by Liam.
A date significant and personal to the couple, Liam’s crafted master plan was to take Cara out for an early romantic dinner at a fancy restaurant in the Perth hills, where he would wine and dine her, and bring up some casual conversation about their future plans as well as some usual chitchat like work and in general, the world.
Arranged well in advance, the plan was for me to wait at the top of the Kalamunda Zig Zag Scenic Drive, a one-way road down the western side of the Darling Range within the Gooseberry Hill National Park, and pretend I was a landscape photographer.
For a little bit of history, the Zig Zag was originally a section of railway line designed to transport timber from the top of the escarpment down to Midland but today it’s a steep, 3km drive only going downhill that winds along a very narrow road with varying hairpin turns and full of glorious scenery – a most perfect place to stop and take in the view!
It was the perfect spot for Liam to take Cara for an after-dinner spot of city viewing where the two could be alone – but little did Cara know!
As it was a Thursday, there was literally no one present at the lookout point, so it was easy for me to park my car and make my way ‘taking photos’ from the top. Liam easily found where I was located, parked the car, and he and Cara made their way nearby to take in the horizon – me being just another random person with a camera.
I crept in a bit closer, and before too long, Liam bent down on one knee and made his declaration, asking Cara to be his wife. It’s important to note here that proposals can, with all the adrenaline, be quite quick so it was vital for me to make sure that Liam (in our scheming together) spoke slowly to Cara – not only to take in every moment with her but so that there was more opportunity for photos (follow all my perfect proposal tips here!).
The golden hour was upon us, and with Cara’s wide eyes and unstoppable smile, she of course responded with a resounding yes and the two embraced. The three of us managed a great ‘impromptu’ photoshoot (impromptu for Cara, perhaps!) and we had the entire lookout point to play with.
The happy couple couldn’t wait any longer, and it was time to make some Facebook Chat calls to share the news with their families – definitely something to capture on camera also!
To Cara and Liam, thank you for allowing me to be a part of your special moment, and sharing with your loved ones your amazing news. I wish you both a lifetime of joy and happiness, and can’t wait to follow your journey with you!
