've always much preferred blog posts that have photographs but it is fitting that I don't have a photograph to share with you for this blog post because it's about the photographs I wished I could of taken.
I have been lucky to have witnessed 3 proposals in Banff just by chance since I've lived here and I've always thought the same thing "I wish I could take photographs for them to remember this moment!".
It's been a beautiful sunny day in Banff. The sun has been teasing me all day trying to drag me away from my computer and the editing I hope to complete for a sweet couple. This evening Kevin and I decided to go for a short bike ride out to Vermillion Lakes together. It was heavenly. We sat on a dock for a while and just felt the sun. We stared at the mountains and held hands and talked about how lucky we are to be able to enjoy this place we call home and promised to take more moments to do just that, take it all in.
I decided to ride home ahead of Kevin so he could wander off on a longer ride. I was riding my bike along the river. The sun was glowing and I kept thinking what a beautiful perfect evening it was as I passed people enjoying the night. That's when I saw the proposal. Just as I was biking past a bench I saw a guy get up with a ring box in hand and nervously and sweetly get down on his knee in front of his girlfriend to propose. I saw him smile and instantly thought "Oh I wish I had a camera!!" Wouldn't it be nice for that girl to have a photo of the smile on his face as he got down on his knee to propose? That was all I saw as I rode by. I didn't want to disrupt their moment so I didn't slow my pace or stare to see her reaction, though I doubt from the look on his face he would notice a firetruck with all it's sirens on at the moment.
The other proposals I witnessed were both in the winter and both incredibly magical, visions of the proposals are still vivid in my mind.
Kevin and I hiked up Sulphur mountain and were enjoying the view at the top when out of the corner of my eye I saw what looked to be the makings of a proposal. I could see a guy nervously moving around his girlfriend and suddenly they were in a world all to themselves. He got down on one knee and I could see her cry and smile and nod her head. I knew she had said yes because she took the winter mitten off her hand and he put a ring on it. I actually had my camera with me and I was so tempted to photograph it all, so tempted. But I didn't want to come across as creepy at all so I kept my camera in my bag. I later regretted it as I saw them scrambling to find someone to take their photo with their iPhone so they could remember the moment. I'm curious would you have wanted a stranger to say I have photographs of your proposal or would that have been creepy?
Perhaps my favourite unexpected proposal moment came one winter evening when Kevin and I were walking our dog together. It was snowing out, those big beautiful fluffy snowflakes. We noticed a red horse drawn sleigh slowly emerge from within the forest. It was such a beautiful romantic sight that we stopped to watch the sleigh. The snow was falling heavily, the red sleigh was the only pop of colour and the horse moved slowly through the trees towards the barn. It was like a painting it was so perfect. The sleigh rounded the corner in the last few feet towards the barn and that's when we noticed the signs. Attached to the barn fence were 4 signs that read in big letters "Will you marry me?".
Just at the moment that we noticed the signs the driver of the sleigh stopped and we saw the guy get out and get on his knee. In that moment when we realized what was happening we turned around and walked the other way not wanting the couple to notice us. Oh how I wish I had photographs of that evening, it was magical.
