These two are engaged! I haven’t seen many proposals before this one in my life but I know for sure that this one was special. Not only because it was the first one I photographed – and because I was probably as nervous as Stephen – but also because he went above and beyond to make this proposal at the Wentworth Mansion magical. Stephen reached out to me a couple weeks before the big night asking if I could help him out.
He and his girlfriend Kerrison don’t live in Charleston, so things needed to be thought through step by step. Good thing that he had the proposal already planned in his head… The two-room Grand Mansion Suite at the Wentworth Mansion, dinner and drinks at Circa 1886 and the proposal on top of the Holy City at sunset. Isn’t that classy?
He told Kerrison he needed to go to a conference and secretly booked a second hotel. So, while Stephen was at his “conference“, what he really did was meet with his Mom, Kerrison’s best friend and me at the hotel room to prepare it for the proposal…
The perfect setup for a romantic proposal at the Wentworth Mansion
– it’s an ornate second-empire style hotel with most of its original features preserved. With its marble fireplaces, intricate woodwork, antique furnishing and Tiffany chandeliers, you can’t help but feel like royalty. And now imagine everything covered in red rose pedals – like literally a million rose pedals – just breathtaking, right?
Kerrison’s Dad brought her to the restaurant. She and Stephen had some drinks. One of the waiters surprisingly suggested that they go to the hotel’s rooftop and enjoy the sweeping view during sunset. I don’t know how he came up with this idea… 😉
Everything had to be perfectly timed
to catch the beautiful light at sunset. Our window was narrowing – time was running out and it would soon be too dark for photographs. Martin – my handsome assistant and second shooter – calmed my nerves. We were already on the rooftop when I saw Stephen and Kerrison walking out of the restaurant. They were on their way up. We got in position, hiding our cameras (pretending to be a couple enjoying the view).
As soon as they reached the top, Stephen guided her to the designated spot. And then everything went really fast. He got down on one knee and proposed. When Kerrison realized what was happening she simply glowed with joy! Her expression showed how deeply touched she was. I am so glad that the proposal turned out as perfectly as we had planned. I am thankful that Martin and I got to capture this sweet moment and I wish I could have seen Kerrison’s face when she saw the hotel room.
I wish them all the best for their future together and I can’t wait to celebrate their big day next year.
Update: see in my gallery how perfectly Kerrison and Stephen’s wedding was!
Start planning your proposal in Charleston!
We hope our story has been useful! If you want to have your own proposal at the Wentworth Mansion, we would love to hear all about it. Just contact us!
We recommend also to check out our list of the best Charleston engagement photo locations – to make sure your proposal turns out as you wanted to.
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