What does it look like to be in love? This is a question that everyone who has never been in love can't help but ask themselves. As a wedding photographer I have a first row seat on a train with three wheels... The bride... the groom... and me! I can't say I have felt it, but I certainly have seen it and I am not even sure how to describe how lovely people are together. Not long ago a man reached out to tell me his love story and asked me to join him in telling that story! So I got on an airplane and flew to Las Vegas to photograph! This story is beautiful, but perhaps you would rather read it from his perspective!

"It was an all-too-common February day in 2017. I was finishing an assignment for an online college course, appreciating the quietness of the Alaskan winter. Watching the snow accumulate on porches, ledges, and cars allowed for a content absent-mindedness that lead to deeper thought.

My girlfriend, Brittni, was over six thousand miles away ministering to dancers and entertainers on the infamous Bangla Road in Thailand. What incredible faith it takes for one to travel overseas and express God’s love to others. She had been doing this for six months to the day and wouldn’t return for another five more.In the calm of that night, I realized, I wanted to marry her."

The day came. I drove to the airport to pick up Brittni from a work trip. She got in the car and we started to drive away. On the way to her apartment I asked her how fast she can pack.

“Why? Do I need to be packing?”

“Um. Yes.”

Within half an hour we were back at the airport and flying to Las Vegas.

A couple hours after we arrived in Las Vegas, Brittni exclaimed, “Oh my goodness, my friend Katie said she going to be here!” All my rehearsing in the mirror came down to this reaction.

With surprised eyes and mouth agape, I said, “What? No way!”

Brittni excitedly explained that Katie was headed to this Rise Festival. As nonchalantly as possible, I told her I’d never heard of it.

I’ve learned that in the context of surprises, you can’t give away any clues or leave any evidence, lest you lose the magic of the build-up and ultimate reveal. That’s why I had to hide the ring perfectly. It couldn’t be in my bag and it couldn’t be on my person—Brittni would’ve found it or seen it in the pocket of my khaki shorts. So where could I hide the ring? How could I keep the magic of the surprise?

I put the box in a few plastic bags and submerged them into my water bottle. She would never check there.

"We drove an hour northeast of the city and into the desert. We arrived at the event parking lot and I told Brittni to grab a few papers out of my bag. She unfolded the them only to find that they were tickets for the Rise Lantern Festival!

I had to hold my excitement! "What are the odds that Katie was going to be at the same event!” I told her. Brittni was convinced that it was crazy coincidence and felt overjoyed to know she was going to reunite with Katie.

We found Katie and her mom, Linnea, at the festival entrance. Though Katie and Linnea were in different sections than Brittni and I, we wanted all of us to be able to experience the event together. Whenever Brittni would step away to take pictures or go to the bathroom, Katie and I schemed. We plotted the timing, the angle, and placement of the proposal. We were ready.

The secret had been guarded for a long time, and the moment was drawing near.

Night fell and we ignited the torches. The other attendees unwrapped their lanterns and began to light them. Ten thousand people prepared to illuminate the dark sky. They held them with growing anticipation and excitement. This was the event they were all waiting for. This was the event that I was waiting for."

The countdown started:

10… Brittni and I released our lantern early.

9… We wanted to watch the spectacle firsthand.

8… I held her, she was cold.

7… She rests her head on my shoulder

6… A gentle breeze tugs at me, but there was no way it could calm me now

5… I reach into my pocket

4… I pull out the ring

3… I close my eyes

2… *Exhale*

1…*Inhale*

*unison release*

“Brittni”

She turns.

I get down on one knee and reveal the ring.

“Will you let me lead you, sacrifice for you and love you the way Christ does for the church?”

“Yes!”

“Then, Brittni Lee Wisner, will you marry me?”

“YES!”

Laughing, excited, and filled with the awe of the moment, Brittni asked, “Does it go on my finger?”

I slid the ring on her finger, got up and we embraced. When we opened our eyes, I felt like I was levitating. The scene looked like we were in the middle of a snow globe in which every snowflake was replaced with a floating lantern, lit and lending a warm glow to everything around us. Brittni spun around and saw Katie taking our picture. The surprise clicked in her mind. She turned back to me, tears of joy in her eyes. She wipes her eyes and looked intently into mine. Brittni is beautiful; she is my fiancé.

The proposal was a success. The experience was perfect and it was memorable. Brittni and I look forward to the many adventures in the new chapter of our lives. Thank you, K Kalon Photography, for capturing these treasured moments.

PS Yes, I did in fact get the parental blessing.