Are you looking for a heartwarming story during this crazy time? If so, keep reading - you won’t be disappointed!
A few months ago, Kaitlin mentioned to Haruki (who happens to be my brother-in-law) that it would be great if I came down this summer to update their family portraits. (Ruki has two children from a previous marriage, and they adore Kait with all their hearts!) Ruki agreed, and the gears were instantly set into motion for the most amazing surprise proposal. Ruki figured that Kait would have no idea this was being planned, as she was the one who initiated it all. (And he wasn’t wrong!) Ruki reached out to me again once he asked Kait’s parents for their permission to propose to their daughter, and after he acquired the perfect ring to symbolize his love for Kait. This was all going to take place at their favorite spot in Asheville, the Biltmore Estate. We picked a date, and it was all set! Or so we thought…
Covid stuck around a bit longer than expected, public venues were closing, and travel was becoming more difficult. At the same time, my husband received notice that he was selected for jury duty during the same time as our planned visit. On top of that, hurricane season was upon us. We started to question if this might happen the way we had planned. As the date approached, the Biltmore Estate was allowing visitors again, and jury duty was postponed. And, it looked like the most recent hurricane was going to miss us. Throughout all of this, Ruki had arranged for Kait’s parents to visit at the same time, to surprise Kait and share this special day with them. They arrived the night before the photoshoot was planned, and were secretly staying in a neighbor’s guest house. Everything was officially set.
However, Mother Nature decided to throw one last curveball our way. We had originally planned for a sunset photoshoot, but the forecast showed thunderstorms all afternoon. So, the night before, we quickly rearranged things and aimed for a morning session instead. If the weather apps were correct, we had about a 2-hour window of no rain after the Biltmore opened for the day. We had to make it work one way or the other. There would be no rescheduling. Rain or shine, this was happening the next morning!
The day of the shoot had arrived. Kait’s parents got to Biltmore a few minutes before we did, and hid out of Kait’s view. We arrived shortly after and walked to Ruki and Kait’s favorite spot, which provides the most amazing view of the mansion. We got everyone into place, and our “family photoshoot” began. After I snapped a few portraits of the four of them, Ruki took the ring box out of his back pocket and dropped to one knee. Kait’s look of surprise as she started realizing what was happening was so amazing to witness. I am getting goosebumps again just thinking about it! Ruki asked her to marry him, and of course SHE SAID YES!!! The kids were excited as well! (They were actually in on the secret and didn’t spill the beans!) Her tears of joy, surprise, and LOVE were flowing!
As Kait started walking up the hill, she spotted her parents approaching from a distance. She recognized them immediately, and the tears arrived all over again. Kait and her parents hadn’t seen each other since November, and it meant so much to her to have them there. We had brought Ruki’s mom with us, so she was there as well. Their presence made this day even more perfect. (Great job, Ruki!)
After Kait’s mascara was fixed and everyone’s adrenaline settled a bit, we continued with our photoshoot. The rain arrived a little earlier than we had expected, but it didn’t even matter. We kept on photographing through it all. Nothing was going to ruin this perfect day - not even a torrential downpour. (We took a break during the heaviest rain and rewarded ourselves with some incredible Biltmore ice cream!)
I’m so happy for Kait and Ruki, and I’m honored that I was able to capture these moments for them. Most of all, I’m glad that they each found their perfect person. They deserve all the happiness in the world! This was the best surprise-proposal-in-the-middle-of-a-pandemic-and-hurricane ever! Congratulations again, Kait and Ruki. And welcome to the family (officially), Kait! Big thanks to my daughters and husband for their help throughout all of this. Fun fact: This proposal took place on Kait’s parents’ 47th wedding anniversary - and on their wedding day, it rained right after the ceremony and portraits took place, just like today!
Here are a few of my favorite photos from our time together. Grab some tissues!
