Ryan’s Wedding Proposal to Hailey: July 16, 2022
Well look where I found myself on a warm summer Saturday afternoon in Toronto, at the Four Seasons Hotel, mind you. I have no idea what room, as I was guided there surreptitiously by Ryan’s mom, very cloak and dagger. So, I find myself crouched down behind three feet bright white letters spelling out, “Marry Me” (you’ll see). My mission, if I choose to accept it, and choose I did, involved me capturing the look on Ryan’s soon-to-be-fiancee, Hailey’s face, as she did stride into the room… so there I was crouched behind three feet bright white letters spelling out, “Marry Me“.
The backstory, as you might be wondering; how did this all come to pass? In my frequent communications with Ryan regarding this proposal, we were settling on the perfect plan. The original script called for Centre Island, Ryan and Hailey sipping wine picnic style, gazing into each others eyes. Me, crouched in the bushes with my trusty Canon 5D mk iv with the long Canon 70-200 f2.8, sniper style, waiting for the perfect moment to shoot. Basically waiting for the ring to make it’s appearance. Well, that did not come to pass, and that script was never filmed.
Fast forward a week or so, and I heard something in the pipeline in Unionville, on the street perhaps, a bench together, gazing into each others eyes. Me, crouched in the bushes with my trusty Canon 5D mk iv with the long Canon 70-200 f2.8, sniper style, waiting for the perfect moment to shoot. Basically waiting for the ring to make it’s appearance… story ends the same way.
So, no go there either. Finally I catch wind of this production, at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown Toronto. Hey, I live 7 minutes away, I can do this. Late Saturday afternoon in Yorkville, PARKING… no problem, I’ll take the motorbike, I can park anywhere (you’ll see). I apply for the gig and I land it because I know Nadine, the casting agent from years past (we shared a camp tent together many a night).
Day of.. da da da daaaa. Nadine meets me outside the Four Seasons Hotel, I pull up on the motorbike, and talk to the concierge about parking… well, right there… and… apparently I cannot park anywhere. I settle for parking around the corner from the valet, and meet Nadine at the door. (Ok, so Nadine is Ryan’s mother, and we went to camp together in the 80’s, hence the tent talk). She sneaks me into the Four Seasons, up the elevator we did go, to room… I have no idea, and 10 minutes later I am hiding behind the three feet bright white letters spelling out, “Marry Me“.
… which brings us up to the present, Hailey is about to walk in to the room, and does she know what she is walking into. From where I’m crouched, a definite NO! This is where the photos start, this is where you come in. Y’know, for these wedding proposal sessions, I usually write something about the bride and groom, but this story was just too much fun not to script myself. As for Ryan and Hailey, you know them, they love each other, yada yada, the pictures show it all.
Enjoy
Selected photos are HERE
All the photos are HERE
