Engagement Rings

Find engagement rings you actually love
Browse Rings →

Find Your Venue

Explore venues for every wedding style
Browse Venues →

Wedding Favors

Custom chocolate bars for every event
Shop Now →

Win a Luxe Escape

St. Maarten trip + $1.3K in gifts!
Enter Now →

Ad Placeholder Title

Ad Placeholder Subtitle Featured here

A Surprise Proposal Disguised As A Styled Shoot

Share

Man lifting a woman in a joyful embrace in a cozy room

When Abalene showed up to a styled shoot with her friend, Chelsea Mead of Honey Designs Jewelry, she thought nothing of it. Little did she know, her boyfriend was waiting there with a big surprise! During the shoot, Jack got down on one knee and asked Abalene to spend forever with him. With a perfectly curated proposal, complete with custom paintings of their fur babies watching over them, it’s no surprise that she said, ” YES!”. 

Chelsea Mead of Honey Designs Jewelry curated all of the elements for this lovely proposal at Locust & Vine. Warm colors and rich velvets give the entire affair a cozy vibe, perfect for proposing! Kati Best Photography helped keep the secret and went along with the “styled shoot” until the big moment came. Katie’s Blooms even made a special engagement bouquet for those must-have ring shots. To see more from this fun proposal, check out the full gallery. Keep reading to hear more from Chelsea Mead of Honey Designs Jewelry about how she and Jack pulled off this big surprise!

Woman arranging flowers on a stylish sofa with decor in a modern apartment

Three people on a bed with a blonde woman getting her nails done

Smiling man in suit jacket getting ready in front of a mirror

Man in suit stands, inside modern room, portrait shot

A SURPRISE PROPOSAL 

Man proposing to woman with joyful excitement, romantic moment

Abalene owns a successful local spa business in the Cincinnati area, called Organic Glow Skincare & Spa, that she started from the ground up. She’s been doing my nails for a couple of years along with facial services. We’ve partnered together on plenty of wedding-related content image shoots so she had no reason to believe this would be any different when I asked her to model for one of my shoots at my favorite local creative suite, Locust & Vine. Fast forward to the day of the shoot, and Abalane has prepped a ton of outfits, completed her signature spray tan, and is clueless about what’s about to go down. She had no idea that I had actually prepared Jack for the photo shoot before she even asked about his availability and we had planned the whole day behind the scenes. 

Man proposes to woman, joyful moment of engagement and proposal

Man proposes to woman, she looks joyous in this special moment

Man proposing to woman with ring, surprised reaction

A man proposes to his love and kisses her in a beautiful room

Smiling blonde woman with a floral hat holding it, looking happy

A happy couple embraces, celebrating a special moment with joy

Smiling couple celebrating with champagne and joy on the couch

INCORPORATING THEIR FUR BABIES 

Happy couple sitting with portraits of their beloved pets

Working closely with Kati, one of my photographers, we led them through what would normally be a styled content shoot, swapped outfits, products, and jewelry, and then ultimately separated Abalene and Jack to prepare for Jack to finally propose. Abalene had made it clear, to both Jack and me, how great it would be to have her animal babies at their proposal someday, and knowing we couldn’t bring pets to the studio, Katie, owner of Fox & Fern Paper Goods, painted the perfect pet portraits so that they could still be in the experience. 

Woman holding a dog portrait painting smiling and wearing a hat

Woman holds framed cat art next to a pink floral bouquet

POPPING THE QUESTION 

Smiling couple posing on a red sofa, happy in a photoshoot

Abalene was so focused on the shoot she didn’t even notice the pet portraits or personal touches until Jack was already down on one knee, which was fun for all of us. One of the best personal attire elements was a custom dried floral hat created by Katie of Katie’s Blooms as well as a personalized custom proposal bouquet. Abalene and Jack celebrated with a champagne toast and we finished the day with some real engagement photos to tie a bow on Abalene’s dreamy engagement surprise.

Diamond engagement ring on hand with bouquet of pink flowersWoman holding a bouquet of pink roses, dress and engagement ring

Couple: Abalene Waterman
Flowers: Katie's Blooms
Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Organic Glow Skincare & Spa
Jewelry: Honey Designs Jewelry
Paper Goods & Calligraphy: Fox & Fern Paper Goods
Photographers: Kati Best Photography
Venues: Locust & Vine

Continue to

Next Story

A romantic brunch wedding at Celestine in DUMBO featuring East-meets-West traditions, lotus-inspired florals, and plenty of Brooklyn Bridge views.
From a custom Alena Leena gown to a moonlit dance party overlooking the cliffs, every wedding detail felt deeply personal and effortlessly elegant.
Set against the lush gardens and open fields of Hidden Meadows, this late-summer wedding beautifully blended personal tradition with modern celebration.