Palm Springs Engagement – Love, Adventure and a Surprise Proposal

Adventure Sunday became a day of love, adventure and an EPIC Palm Springs Engagement! This my friends are what surprise proposal dreams are made of.

Natalie and I had been discussing our upcoming shoot. Think ‘iconic Palm Springs’, we had everything on our checklist ready to go. Multiple locations, wardrobe changes, Sir Charles (her amazing dog), assistant for hair, makeup and photography, and most importantly, Brad her then – boyfriend.

As time for our photoshoot grew near, Brad reached out and shared his desire to surprise Natalie with a marriage proposal.  We spoke about the details, and wow was I amazed at how much thought he had already put into this. THIS was going to be an incredible day – and it was!!!

I asked both Natalie and Brad to share about their beautiful relationship and here is what they had to say…

Natalie

“When I met brad he wore his cool #TDFW Florida vibes and he twirled me on the dance floor in his flip floppies…he said he loved my white pants…lol (still his favorite) I don’t know if it was my dance moves or the white pants but, we soon found each-other on our first date and he had a yellow rose at the table.” 

What do you love about Brad?

“I love Brad for countless reasons: a hopeless romantic, he is so thoughtful! He is hilarious; makes me laugh in his own unique way. He has got those blue beautiful eyes. Which can never lose their spark, I can hear what his eyes are saying with the way he looks at me.

Brad is adventurous and I fell in love with his HEART! He brings out the BEST in me and not only knows how to make me laugh but also makes me feel comfortable, beautiful, safe, loved, seen and supported. Brad motivates me in many ways and he gives me his PRESENCE! A true GIFT in this time and age…

Our communication has been a cornerstone that’s made our love, grow, strengthen and continue beyond. Parallel to our adventure time. My favorite is our snuggles! He is 6’4” and I’m 5’3” so his arms wrap around me HOLDING me like a FOOTBALL! That’s what he says…

Brad LOVES Charlie and is such a good DOG DAD. The fact he incorporated Charlie into the proposal means the world to me…and he knew how to make it EXTRA special.

My friends and family adore him, this means so much to me!! They all have witnessed his incredible love and how we bring out the best and want the best for each other.

We have always made our adventure time a priority! We truly value experiences and quality time. I once said to Brad, “I don’t want to settle down with you—-(wink) I WANT to TAKE OFF with YOU”… and we did exactly that in the helicopter ride that lead us up to the tallest mountain! “

 

Brad

“I moved to the desert in 2015 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida so I know how hard it is to find love in the Coachella Valley. When I met Natalie two years ago, I knew she was very special. She was a dancer and I spun her off her feet. Our active lifestyles instantly connected and we quickly fell in love. 

Adventure Sunday has been our getaway day to go out and explore! We are both in highly seasonal businesses and in season we would work Monday-Saturday almost every week. Sundays were our one day we spent to shutoff from work to spend with each other. We went 8 weeks straight venturing out to go hiking, jeeping, or just exploring the beautiful desert during this season that really got us through the high pressure businesses we both serve”. 

Why Propose on Sunday?

“It was very fitting to propose on Sunday August 19th. It was another Sunday Adventure day for us but it was also National Aviation Day, which is one my favorite passions. So incorporating aviation into this was treat and Big Blue Air Helicopters was able to assist. We landed on a mountain top only accessible by helicopter which really made for a very intimate location with a great view of the Coachella Valley below. 

I also wanted to include our other love, Sir Charles (King Charles Cavalier & Poodle mix), which is Natalie’s dog. I had a custom collar made that said “Marry Me!?” and attached her Grandmother’s Art Deco ring I had completely restored on the leash & collar. Sir Charles really helped provide that extra special factor. 

Of course this could not have happened without lots of planning, coordinating, and secrecy from Erica Mendenhall. She also brought some expertise along with Christopher Cheeks at Big Blue Air Helicopter. I was traveling most of the week before the big moment so needed lots of support from the two of them. They coordinated a great plan of action that would make for the most epic proposal. I had a huge idea and these two implemented it to perfection, actually exceeded it! 

I cannot thank Erica and Christopher enough for really and truly owning every detail to make this work flawlessly. You may be looking for a photographer to capture your perfect moment but I can tell you she isn’t just a photographer, she is a visionary. She helps make the moment! Thank you”.  

Thank you Brad for envisioning a perfect surprise proposal, you nailed it!

Now to scroll on friends…take a look at just how Rad, Brad and Natalie are together! 🙂

 

Surprise Proposal!

She said YES!

Ending their epic Palm Springs Engagement with views of the Coachella Valley

Natalie and Brad Congratulations on your engagement!

It will forever be a special day for you, but also for me! May your love and adventures continue to grow for years to come!

 

Creative Team:

Erica Mendenhall Photography | Big Blue Air | DG Studio 15