Kirk held his Santa Clara proposal to Shelby at their Alma Mater of Santa Clara University, wanting to personalize his proposal in the same area they met and spent many hours together. Meeting during orientation freshmen year of college, they hung out in this plaza under a tree countless times getting to know each other and growing more and more in love with each other. For me, this was probably the most unique and personal locations I have photographed in and one of my favorites, simply because these photos don’t mean as much to most viewers but mean the world to Kirk and Shelby. I love that Kirk chose this seemingly random afternoon to propose to Shelby since they commonly walk this same exact route every month since they live so close to the campus. Shelby’s reaction proved she was caught completely off-guard and made me appreciate Kirk’s intimate gesture of love even more. As they sat under “their” tree, Shelby made her celebratory phone calls to her mother and grandmother and I could hear their exuberant reactions through the phone, giving me as much of a smile on my face as it did for them!

Being my first time on the Santa Clara University campus, I was excited to utilize the surrounding areas, hoping to give these two alumni a unique and fresh look to the campus. I asked them for suggestions to shoot and they recommended a nearby rose garden, which gave an amazing scent as we approached it. It was a fitting conclusion to this marriage proposal, showcasing the campus where their love truly blossomed.

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