K+A

ANDREW + KENDYLL PALOS VERDES

July 14, 2015

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ostaraphotography_teranearesort_palosverdes_engagementshoot_surpriseproposal_001.jpg ANDREW + KENDYLL // TERRANEA RESORT // SURPRISE PROPOSAL

Typically my 4th of July’s are spent relaxing on the beach with friends, grilling steaks on the BBQ and then taking the trolly into town to watch the fireworks; this year I witnessed fireworks well before the sun went down! I was hired to capture Andrew and Kendyll’s surprise proposal at the Terranea Resort in Palos Verdes.

Surprise proposals are always such a nerve-racking/exciting/fun/joyous occasions for me to photograph. I love photographing surprise proposals–there is no planning or primping for the bride-to-be. Just emotions, excitement and blissful love.

It was 4pm in the afternoon when I arrived at the little cove, I got down to the beach about 15 minutes before Andrew and Kendyll so that I could scout out the location and get into position. The beach was crowded so I picked a quieter spot on the right hand side and waited. Andrew came down hand in hand with his soon to be fiancee Kendyll and took a seat on the ledge of the beach. He and I made eye contact as our ‘sign’ that he was going to get into position and that I needed to be ready to capture every single moment!

The small cove was completely silent as Andrew got down on one knee and asked Kendyll to spend the rest of his life with him. The ocean’s powerful waves was the only sound that could be heard of the private and romantic proposal. Kendyll said yes, wrapped her arms around Andrew’s neck and kissed him. The beach erupted with clapping and the couple laughed in joy! The newly engaged couple shared a few moments together before we began our impromptu engagement session.

The photos that I captured of Andrew and Kendyll are ‘in the moment,’ honest, and beautiful. Whether or not they use these photos as their ‘actual’ engagement photos or not does not matter to me as that it not the point. The point of hiring a photographer for a ‘surprise proposal’ is a way to commemorate a truly momentous time in in a couples love story.

Thank you Andrew for allowing me to capture such a day that will NOT be soon forgotten by you or Kendyll!! Wishing you all the love in the world!

FROM THE GROOM:

Kendyll and I have known each other for more than 10 years but fell in love over only the past few.

We were friends in high school back in Michigan and after we graduated I went to school in Virginia and Kendyll stayed close to home for college. During breaks for Christmas or New Years we would see each other from time to time but it wasn’t until I took a job 2500 miles away out in California that we reconnected. She was still in graduate school in Ohio at the time, so we talked and texted for a while until I convinced her to visit me for a week in California–we both immediately fell in love. During that week we took a hike through Terranea Resort where we walked beneath a cliff past a wedding where I think we both realized it was am omen. I also knew immediately this was the place I would propose.

We did the long-distance relationship for about a year until she graduated and soon moved out here with me to California last year. We talked about rings and weddings a few different times. I met up with her best friend back home during Christmas break last year to get any other ring, diamond, or proposal information she may have had to make sure everything was as perfect as it could be. I started planning the proposal late last year but didn’t decide to propose on July 4 until the month before. I wanted us to always be able to celebrate on a fun holiday that we’ll always be able to enjoy.

I bought the ring and made absolutely sure not to tell anyone how or when I was proposing–it was important to me Kendyll would be the first to know. We planned a nice dinner out at one of Terranea’s best restaurants and I did my best to play it off as a normal night out. We arrived at the resort on an early overcast evening and soon after Kendyll and I were engaged. We went to dinner and at the end of the night everything had went better than I even imagined, I don’t think Kendyll could have been happier.

We’re officially on the way to the rest of our lives together!