Last year, I received one of the most beautiful inquiries I’ve ever had. Charlie reached out and asked if I would be willing to drive all the way to Indianapolis—on a weekday morning—to capture something truly extraordinary. He was planning to propose to his beautiful girlfriend, Kate, on the first day of the National Eucharistic Congress.

And he planned it perfectly.

Charlie contacted Holy Rosary Parish (a church he had never attended before) and arranged for a priest he had never met and an organist he didn’t know to be part of this sacred surprise. He even scheduled it around daily Mass so that nothing would seem unusual.

So early that Wednesday morning, Charlie and Kate attended the 7:20 a.m. Mass together. Because Kate and I are old friends from Ohio, I couldn’t be present for the Mass itself without raising suspicion. Instead, I timed my arrival so that I slipped in just after Mass had concluded. Everyone was still praying quietly in their pews when Charlie glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of me. With his arm wrapped protectively around Kate, he subtly gave a thumbs up to the organist.

Suddenly, her favorite hymn filled the church. Charlie led her to the altar, knelt with her in prayer, and then gently lifted her to her feet before dropping to one knee. Kate’s eyes filled with tears as Charlie asked her to be his wife—and she said “yes!” At that very moment, the organist transitioned seamlessly into O God, Beyond All Praising. It was a moment overflowing with grace, beauty, and tears of joy.

But the surprises didn’t end there. Charlie had also arranged for the priest to give them the Betrothal Rite and to initiate him into the Brown Scapular devotion—two incredible blessings to mark the beginning of their engagement. Afterwards, with the priest’s permission, we captured tender portraits in and around Holy Rosary Parish, preserving every sacred detail of this chapter in their love story.

As a Catholic engagement photographer, I am endlessly grateful to witness moments like these. What a gift to capture a proposal that so beautifully glorifies God and centers the Eucharist at the heart of their vocation!

Congratulations, Charlie and Kate! I cannot wait to celebrate with you again at your October wedding.

Charlie led her to the altar, knelt with her in prayer, and then gently lifted her to her feet before dropping to one knee.

Always, Joanie