She said YES!!! Mike and Stacey are ENGAGED!!!! Stacey’s reaction when Mike proposed to her during their family vacation was priceless <3

Each year, Mike’s family comes to a beach home in Holden Beach, North Carolina for a week in the sun. And each time they are here, they make it a priority to have their family portraits done. This time, Mike was going to get down on one knee and ask to spend forever with his (then) girlfriend. What a perfect opportunity to have the moment photographed!

Between emails and a few phone calls, we compared all of the different ways the moment could unfold. I proposed (ha!) a few options and he took a few days to think on them before settling on proposing on the beach right after some big family photos.

The “Family” Session

Here’s how it went: We set up for the big group shot (12+ people!) on the beach. The sun was shining bright, the beach was empty and the wind was just breezy enough to cool us off but not ruin our hair too much. It was going great! Everyone was in on the secret except for Stacey. After grabbing some formal photos, we started setting up for photos of all of the couples there. Because I was too nervous she would know if Mike and Stacey went first, we let a few other couples start. But once the light was just right, I told Mike it was their turn!

We worked out a special “GO TIME” phrase in advance that would let him know I was ready for him. And as soon as the lighting was just right,  Mike dropped to one knee, pulled the ring out of his pocket and asked Stacey to be his forever wife <3

Stacey’s reaction was so sweet!!! Before embracing Mike in the biggest hug and saying YES, she looked all around to take in the moment and realized everyone was there just for this. The whole family celebrated by running up to the newly engaged couple and giving them the biggest beach bear hug!!!

A Mini Engagement Session

After the proposal, I treated these two to a mini engagement session at sunset. We popped bottles of champagne and took photographs to celebrate this new chapter of their lives together. Mike’s family helped encourage everyone to dress up so she would be ready for this part too. Isn’t her skirt just the cutest!? I loved the way it flowed in the wind, it was just perfect. After their session, they rushed off to an engagement party nearby that they had planned.

Zack and I hadn’t made it to the coast since we moved to Fort Bragg this past June so we made a point to stop by and grab some crab legs and shrimp before we headed home. We walked in to a restaurant a little bit before they closed and I was so excited for the photos that I had my laptop open to edit before the meal came. Absolutely no one would want to wait too long to see the sneak peeks of such a special moment! I delivered about 10 photos before we even drove home for the couple to share, including some of the photos below 🙂

If you are planning to propose and would like to have it photographed, send me an email here or fill out my contact form and we can make it happen!

Tricia Michael Photography, LLC is located in Southern Pines, North Carolina. In addition to the North Carolina community, she also serves the Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky areas as a wedding and engagement photographer. You can learn more about the wedding and photography services and availability by contacting me here.