Sarah Kate was studying abroad in London when she met Julien at a friend’s party. She describes it as “love at first sight” when she saw him by the window and they spent the rest of the night talking. Their first date was the very next day and they spent the next 3 months inseparable before Sarah Kate had to return to Boston to finish fashion school. They did long distance for the next 18 months while Julien was in London pursuing his dream of being a chef but there were many trips made back & forth between Boston & London. “It was the hardest thing ever! Every time we left each other was heart wrenching but every time we saw each other again it was like no time had passed and now here we are.” 

Julien had emailed me and we had been planning via email for the couple weeks prior to the proposal. He was so excited & had everything planned out just so. They were going to be at her parent’s lake house for the weekend, just enjoying some time together when he was going to pop the question. We drove down early Friday morning, it was a foggy and peaceful morning at the lake when we arrived. Julien greeted us outside the house and showed us the layout of how everything was going to happen. He had set alarms on Sarah Kate’s phone and she would be waking up to them any minute. Here’s the rest of the story from her perspective: 

“I semi wake up around 7:30 and Julien is in a towel from the shower but I was so groggy I just went back to bed.

Then probably an hour later, still no Julien, I woke up to use the bathroom and then I went back to bed, but I checked my phone first and there were like TEN ALARMS set and I was like ok turning all of these off–I knew Julien was the culprit because they were all 9:00 9:02 9:03 9:06 9:10 and so on. Then close to ten someone (Julien) slammed a door right outside our room but disappeared somewhere and I woke up to a note next to my phone and a selfie stick that said “Go make yourself even more beautiful and get dressed. Once you have done this, go into the kitchen and find the next clue by the coffee machine. (at every note you must use the selfie stick)” So I’m all like “…ok then” and I didn’t bother showering because a hike…duh but put on makeup to play along. The next notes were scattered all around the house having me make coffee because I can’t do anything without it, etc. and the second to last clue said to text my mom for the answer and she texted back “turn over the cards, silly!” So I did, and they all spelled out Go to the Pier (I also had to post this on social media, so obviously I chose insta).

I quickly went outside and was still confused but there were arrows leading me down and when I got to the dock, he was standing there alone and the very last card read “empty your hands and come to me, I love you.” and THAT is when I finally clocked on to everything and immediately like the cry baby I am started whimpering “what are you doing out here?” and then he proposed!!

It was so adorable–there were two old men slowly, and I mean slowly, passing by on their little boat about 5 feet from our dock and they witnessed the whole thing–they even clapped for us and our photographer (yes she was hidden the whole time, I also had no idea) said they were crying! So that’s how it went down!” 

www.photographybyseneca.com

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