nick and paige / operation red fox - proposal

i drove down from minneapolis on saturday afternoon. i met with the girls + nick for the plan of action, and got all giddy with my best friend, chelsie as we waited for our girl paige to walk through the doors and be swept up by a night of surprise. 

paige, the maid of honor in my wedding, total soul sisters since freshman year of college. her now fiance, nick asked me to photograph their proposal and i couldn’t be more ecstatic that I got to be a part of it all. 

6:10pm, chelsie gets a call from paige saying she was on her way home from work and that she can’t wait to make dinner with her. “I have brussels sprouts!!” she said as chelsie grinned at me. 

i hid with my camera behind doors and she came in. chelsie and my chests, both pounding, paige’s pounding more and more as she figured out what was happening. all she would say was, “what is going on?!” she read her first clue. nick has always had a dream of making a comic book, so he took this as his chance. every stop had its own comic of a memory they’ve shared. the dude is SO unbelievably talented!! 

being the photographer, i also got the honor of being her driver to each place. she could barely talk during the ride to the first place and said she felt sick. tears came. we laughed and i played calming music, trying to bring up any conversation to get her mind off of it all ;). 

1st stop. her apartment with chelsie. (old news).

2nd stop. cornerstone church - ankeny with delaney. 

3rd stop. sawgrass park with emily. 

4th stop. gray’s lake park with paulina. paige had to take a bathroom break and nick texted me, “no time.” i figured it’d be for the best to let her go ;). 

5th stop. the des moines art center with NICK. violinist + guitarist playing the smiths and first day of my life by bright eyes. a blank comic for the story they will soon be writing. the sweetest. 

she walked up to her last comic, looking around for nick until he came out of the darkness. he got on his knee, gave her the most STUNNING ring and their lives as boyfriend and girlfriend was over. 

we got into the car to go back to her apartment and she thought the night was over. until… we walked through their apartment doors to 40-50 people in their living room. her parents, grandparents, twin brother, all friends she loved. i’m sure she just wanted to pass out from excitement. it was all too sweet!

i am beyond excited for these two as they journey into their next chapter!! their wedding will be absolutely something else. congrats, to the future mr. and mrs.!! well played, nick. 

xoxo, 

ali