Around a month before he was planning to pop the question, Daniel got in touch with me to ask if I could capture his proposal. He knew that he wanted to propose at Rydal Hall by Rydal Falls and having looked online at the location I couldn't think of a more fitting place! He explained that he and his partner Alex would be up in the Lakes for a short break nearby and that this would be the perfect opportunity for him. Surprisingly, having lived in the Lakes for a lifetime, I had never actually visited Rydal Hall and so I was excited at the prospect of visiting somewhere new. As a Lake District Photographer, I find that capturing a proposal in an unfamiliar place always makes things a little bit more exciting from a photography perspective!
Fast forwarding to the morning of the proposal, I awoke to a wintry view; everything was blanketed with white frost and snow. This was definitely not BMW weather and having asked the other half if I could borrow the Panda, I was informed that the cold weather the day before had killed the battery! I was in two minds whether or not the weather would hamper play and so I jumped online and looked first at the forecast which said it wasn't going to get much above freezing, and then at the traffic in the lakes. Apart from being freezing, all looked good, and so armed with my camera bag, thermals, woolly hat, gloves, three pairs of socks, a bacon and egg butty, and a travel mug of coffee, I tentatively set off. Once up the icy hill and out of the cul-de-sac where I live, it was clear that the roads were fine and that I had been unnecessarily apprehensive!
Parking up by St Mary's Church, I put my walking boots on and set off in search of Rydal Falls. Now, usually, I like to arrive around an hour early for a proposal, especially if it's a place I don't know but on this particular morning I was running deliberately later - I didn't want to be hanging around in the cold for any longer than I needed to be! After a short five-minute walk through the grounds and after confirming I was going in the right direction with a passerby, I came upon the most magnificent waterfall. It was every bit as beautiful in real life as it was in the photos that I had seen on the internet and as a bonus, there was a bridge overlooking it which offered the perfect vantage point. With 15 minutes to spare, I made for the bridge and set up two cameras, all ready for the big moment. Perfect!
Daniel had sent a photo of himself over by email a few days beforehand so that I knew what he looked like and in doing so, he mentioned that they would also be bringing their 2-year-old son Maxi with them...so I awaited poised on top of the bridge. It wasn't long before I spotted them and it became apparent that I was very obvious where I was but having nowhere to hide I paid no attention to them and instead pretended to be photographing the waterfall. I waited nervously as they all entered the grot and then Daniel exited and waited outside - I could see that he had the ring box behind his back, and I could feel his nerves.
Following this, I revealed myself, congratulated them both and gave Alex a few moments to process the moment that had just happened. Little Maxi was initially quite shy and so as not to intimidate him with all my camera equipment, we took things slowly so we could get to know each other a bit better. I'm always quite sensitive and very aware of respecting children's feelings when it comes to photography, and feeling that Maxi was apprehensive and that being there with a camera was upsetting him, I suggested that we grabbed something to eat and a brew in the Cafe before we progressed further. This served two purposes...we all got to know each other a little better (which always makes for better photos) and I got a much-needed caffeine boost!
“We absolutely love the photos and couldn’t have asked for more! Thanks so much again for everything, you were great.”
Following that, we had a little mini family shoot, Maxi and I played hide and seek and we captured some beautiful moments as we explored the grounds and wooded area nearby! Here's a handful of some of the moments we captured.
If you're looking for a photographer in the Lake District for a proposal, family shoot, wedding or otherwise, get in touch, I'm looking forward to hearing from you.
