He Surprised His Girlfriend (and the Photographer!) with a Proposal in Yosemite National Park

Jessica is a talented wedding photographer who opted to jump on the other side of the lens with her boyfriend, Matt, during a trip to Yosemite National Park! She called up one of our favorites, Mary Costa Photography, to capture the day, then set off to adventure across the park. Little did Jessica or Mary know…they were all in for a fun surprise! Jessica told us a little bit about her and Matt’s story and her expectations for the day:

I met Matt when I was 17. We dated for a couple years, but the timing wasn’t in our favor, we made the heartbreaking decision to go our own ways. Flash forward 7 years, we ran into each other unexpectedly and decided to give it another shot. It was in an instant that we reconnected and it really felt like no time had passed. This time around we both knew it was the real deal and we’d never be without each other. I am a wedding photographer, so Matt is used to me planning random shoots just for fun. I booked some work in Yosemite (Matt’s favorite place in the world, and now mine!), so I knew I had to bring him along, make a mini vacation out of it, and have some photos taken while we were there.

Guess what happened next?! Lucky for us, Mary captured it all!

Surprise in the Meadow

Jessica: About 10 minutes into the shoot, I turn around to see Matt down on his knee, “Will you marry me?!” All I kept saying was “Omg omg omg?!!!” I look at Mary to see if she was in on this….nope she wasn’t! Matt completely surprised us both.

Matt: I attempted to tip Mary off to the fact that I had the ring in my pocket, and honestly thought I did… Luckily we had a photographer who was in the moment! All I had to do was get a ring, get on one knee, and ask one question. Yes, it was a very big question, but I would have done literally anything spend the rest of my life with Jessica by my side.

Jessica: We had serious talks about getting married and I knew that it was coming, but when it finally happened, it felt like a dream. Being in such an ethereal corner of the world, standing in front of the love of my life, a sparkly pretty ring—I was just overwhelmed with happiness and excitement. Matt shared that the diamond in my ring was from my Mom’s engagement ring to my stepfather who passed away when I was a kid. It means the world to me to know this his legacy will continue in our marriage.

Eeek!! Such a perfect twist to the day (well done, Matt)! The rest of the day was spent, as Mary says, wondering around the park “on cloud 9!”

Doesn’t Jessica look beautiful? Loving this dress—it reminds us of one of our GWSxMumu prints!

Loving Jessica’s golden smokey eye from Ashley Larayne Beauty!

Newly Engaged in Yosemite!

Golden hour calls for a new light-catching dress!

How utterly dreamy is this?!

Jessica: The whole proposal was so true to who we are as a couple. My passion is photography and creating art through photographs and Matt’s passions include the outdoors and adventure. Being able to start our new chapter with combing our two loves in one experience, it was just magical!

Mary drove in with a colorful + festive bouquet by Shindig Chic for Jessica to carry!

Yay, you two!! We love a good surprise engagement and it doesn’t get any better than getting engaged in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

photography: Mary Costa Photography // venue name: Yosemite National Park, California, USA // florals: Shindig Chic // hair stylist: Braided Blonde Locks // makeup artist: Ashley Larayne Beauty // models: Jessica Lynn // first dress: Lulus // second dress: White Fox Boutique