“I want a heart-shaped picnic basket, and a blanket, maybe checked, and champagne and stuff like that, and, oh, a lighthouse view …” he told me nervously.    Sonny was planning to pop the question and wanted everything  perfect.  ” I know the best beach with a view of the lighthouse, and I’ll bring everything, don’t worry”,  I told him.

Weeks later, the day finally arrived and so we staged it.  I set up the vintage quilt with the heart-shaped basket filled with Katelyn’s favorites, Veuve Clicquot, Brie, and pretty flowers, as I waited for Sonny to appear as scheduled.  Then, out of nowhere, the wind picked up and blew the blanket up knocking everything over.  Ah, my perfect set-up!  And I just got the text that read “10 minutes out”.  “I should have thought of something to hold the blanket down”, I scolded myself.  Sonny planned out every detail and it wouldn’t be the same if his romantic picnic was blowing down the beach.  I had to find something to hold the blanket down and get back to my inconspicuous place right away.  Suddenly I found a big rock – great!   Then another – thankfully!

Minutes later a handsome man and beautiful girl appeared on the beach and he dropped to one knee.  There at the base of the dune with the lighthouse in view, he held a small black box out to her .  Her hands flew to her face in surprise trying to take it all in…the beautiful ring, the picnic on the beach, and even me.

Katelyn kept saying this was so perfect…it was just as she would have wanted it.   The day was chilly and windy but they didn’t seem to mind as they talked and giggled and let me take image after image. When we packed up to leave, Katelyn picked up one of the rocks holding down the quilt and said, “look, it’s a heart”.  I didn’t even notice in my haste to save the whole scene.  “I’m going to keep this”, she said.  As we walked off the beach, I thought that, yes indeed, it was all about hearts that day. ♥