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the proposal
the proposal
lanette & cain
the proposal

I wasn’t going to make a blog entry entirely dedicated to the proposal because there’s going to be a video soon…. however I just can’t resist it!

Here’s how things went down… in enumerated form… (if you know me at all, you know I LOVE me an enumerated list!)

1. I put requests out on social media for models for our upcoming Fall workshops. I prefer that our couples be engaged as I want the workshop experience to be as real as possible (engaged vs boyfriend/girlfriend vs already married are totally different and the way that you photograph those relationships is quite different).

2. I got this email from Lanette that evening, “Bobbi, I was SO excited to see you post on Instagram about the workshop models! I have been following you guys for so long, I love your work!ย Cain and I have been together for 3 years and we aren’t shy around the camera! We are not engaged (yet!), but it is in the near future ๐Ÿ™‚ Hope to hear back!” -Lanette

3. Full confession: because they weren’t engaged yet, I put their name in the “maybe” pile.

4. The next morning I get an email from Cain, it says… “My name isย Cain, I believe my girlfriend, Lanette, messaged you about us being available for the workshop. I wanted to ask you if we were selected, would it be okay or could we work in some way that I actually propose. I think this would be a great surprise and she wouldn’t see it coming. ย Also she loves your work so it would mean a lot to her, though I do understand if it would mess up your workshop.ย Thank you,ย Cain”

5. OHHHH MANNNN!!!! I start to get all heart thumpy… but immediately am concerned that this could be a huge distraction from our workshop… and to be quite frank, the workshop is always my priority. So I head over to Facebook, where we have a group dedicated to all bbmk workshop alum and ask them what they think we should do. THEY.WENT.CRAZY! Saying things like, “OH MY GOSH! I WISH I WERE GOING TO THAT WORKSHOP!” “It’s a no-brainer, you have to!” “What a lucky group to see a live engagement!”

6. Two hours after receiving Cain’s message, I emailed him back… “Oh my gosh. You win at life! I hadn’t chosen anyone yet… but your email put me over the edge! Ahhhh!!!!!ย She doesn’t know she’s been picked yet so don’t say anything. ๐Ÿ™‚ย We’ll talk details soon. First I need to email and let her know she’s been chosen.ย Oh. Surprise… My good friend is a videographer and I called him after I got your message andย arranged for him to be there to video the whole thing. BOOOOOM! I’m so damn excited about this!ย Have I mentioned you win at life Cain?”ย  -Bobbi

7. I then email Lanette to let her know we’ve chosen her and Cain and we start making arrangements. She was hype!

8. Next up, I called Cain… we brainstormed… and came up with a plan. I told him what I would say so that he would know exactly when we were ready and in position for the big moment. The secret phrase was something like, “Tell Lanette what you love about her…” I also told him we would ย come up with a perfect spot for the big moment. The pressure was on!

9. Then the big day came. When they showed up to the workshop… Cain seemed both nervous and excited.ย  Lanette was just all smiles and happiness… which I’m pretty sure is her constant state. ๐Ÿ˜‰

10. I wanted them to be comfortable enough in front of the camera and all of us watching before he popped the question… so we photographed them for about an hour before switching locations.

When we pulled up to the red bridge… Cain immediately knew that this was it. After all, it was quite picturesque! So yeah… we didn’t waste much time! I tell you what, he was ready! It would have been torture to make him wait any longer!

I had them move into position and pose three times before giving the cue (jussssst to make sure that we had our settings perfect and were locked into the perfect composition. Hey now, this ain’t our first rodeo! ๐Ÿ˜‰ )

Cain, on the right looking at me as though saying, “I’m so ready! Are we doing this?!”So I walk near him while Lanette was facing forward, give them instructions for the next shot and give him the nod on the sneak…
Then… our code phrase… “This time when you give her a squeeze I want you to tell Lanette what you love about her…”

THEN…
IT…HAPPENED!Cain… you NAILED it! I love that he gave us a thumbs up. Oh man… I’m tearing up right now remembering this!
She gets a good look at her ring for the first time. You see, I’m not sure he got the whole phrase out before she attacked him with hugs!ย Then reality hits her and she realizes that we’ve all been standing there the whole time! ย I think it was about at this point she looked at Cain and said… “DOES MY MOM KNOW?!” She was SO excited to share the news with her parents ๐Ÿ™‚I wait for the immediate excitement to happen and I go in for the hugs! I just couldn’t resist! See Cain there? Adrenaline was pummmmping before the whole thing went down and then, like a flash, he was draaaaained! ย You see, he had this HUUUUGE ball of anxious/nervous/excited/happy energy that he’d been keeping in for months… and then BOOOOM! Cain, you are quite the catch I tell ya!I just adore you both so much!
She had to go spread the news with all of her new BFFs! ๐Ÿ˜‰
I don’t think there was a dry eye standing on that bridge! Watching this was something that we’ll all carry with us forever and ever.ย …did this really just happen?!IT DID!Then we walked back to the bus. Correction: blissfully walked back to the bus! ๐Ÿ˜‰…with the whole gang in tow. But before we went any further I saw a cool spot for a photo. It wasย a photography workshop, after all! ๐Ÿ˜‰ ย I sat them down and set up the shot. ย This was the first moment of stillness that had happened since the big moment… …and it hits her… this was really happening. This was my favorite moment of the entire proposal. ๐Ÿ™‚Yes yes yes…. she called her mom! The reason she’s holding that little mic is because the whole thing was caught on film by Ben. ๐Ÿ™‚…and then it hits her again. ๐Ÿ˜€The scene.… it was back to workshop time… ๐Ÿ˜€

I got an email the next day from Cain…

Hey I just wanted to send another email and thank you so much again for making this so perfect. With your, Mike and Ben’s help I was able to give the perfect proposal to Lanette! So thank you again.. YOU GUYS ROCK!!

Here’s an excerpt from Lanette’s blog about the proposal.

What started off as an honest once in a life time opportunity, turned into a once in a life time memory.

As I posted before I have been very excited about the workshop modeling for Bobbi+Mike. Once we arrived there we (I) found out that we were having our video taken that day too! But not for us (lie) but for a promo for Bobbi+Mike’s workshop. That’s what I thought! Little did I know then, this was all a scam! Cain already knew, and it wasn’t for Bobbi and Mike … It was for ME! But I did not know this at the time, I was clueless and frankly just not thinking straight. But how could I be? I was too excited about the fact I was about to spend the day with my favorite photographers!

So we were on our way around town, being photographed and having a crowd of about 12 other photographers overseeing bobbi doing her thing! Boy does she know how to work it! She’s crazy, crazy awesome, crazy awesomely perfect, crazy awesomely perfectly wonderful… should I go on? Honestly the way she connects with clients so fast, not just anyone can do that. Plus her creativity is out of this world. (Have I mentioned that just I adore you Lanette!) So here I am enjoying and taking it all in and trying to just have fun and go with it. Cain was doing awesome too! He seemed relaxed, having fun, no care in the world kind of way. He has a different story though of that first hour of being photographed. He was flipping out inside, going nuts, nerves like none other, going over in his head the moment he would ask me to marry him…. ALL those things he kept INSIDE, not stuttering once… or spilling any beans. He’s awesome. Kind of like Bobbi awesome! ๐Ÿ˜‰

We get to this beautiful walk way, with trees on both sides covered with leaves. Oh and there were leaves on the ground too, it was just breath taking! Bobbi had Cain come up behind me and whisper in my ear all the things he loved about me… then told us to think about how special it is to have him back home after being gone for so long at Basic and AIT. I did think about it, and even started getting emotional there… (more emotion was coming) finally she told cain to say something else, (this is where that blur started) because the next thing I knew Cain said “I want to spend the rest of my life with you” And my eyes turn the size of golf balls as I turned to see him getting down on one knee!!! I can’t believe I’m writing about this, it’s real. It really happened! I can’t tell you what all took place after that. I know I said yes because the whole work shop was cheering for us. I flashed my hand to everyone and then yeah, it’s all a blur LOL

But remember that videographer who was doing the “promo” for the workshop. Yeah, he’s awesome too and had Cain mic’d up, so not only do I get to see this moment through photographs. But through film, with sound. You all get to hear what I heard, see what I saw, and share in that moment with us. AHHH. This is happening!”

 

HEEEEEERE IT IS!!!!!! THE VIDEOOOO!!!!!!! Ben nailed it! Duh. ๐Ÿ˜‰ There’s even a little cameo by yours truly. ๐Ÿ˜€

Cain, I feel honored that you thought to include us. I’ll never forget that moment… EVER!

Lanette, please never change! You, my love, are one in a million.

Both of you are so very lucky to have found each other!

OHHHH how I wish you two were getting married on a day we were available!

Thank you again… for…. everything. ๐Ÿ˜€

Sending love and high fives!

~bobbi โ—

 

PS. To workshop #14, thank YOU for being on board with this! I know it was a bit out of the norm… so thanks for rolling with the punches!

PPS. Still a few April workshop spots available! We would LOVE to have you! Don’t hesitate to email us (hello at bobbiandmike dot com) if you have any questions. Side note: our workshop is relevant to both wedding and family / portrait photographers. ๐Ÿ™‚