The Reserve at Lake Keowee Engagement: Surprise Proposal
A couple of months ago, Abby’s mom and Thomas reached out for a special proposal and engagement at The Reserve at Lake Keowee. Thomas and Abby’s family have spent many summers at Lake Keowee together, and the couple plan to get married at Founder’s Hall!
Hello! My name is (also) Abby, and I’m a Greenville SC proposal photographer who loves documenting couples, proposals, and engagements and then turning those photographs into heirloom keepsakes!
Planning the Reserve at Lake Keowee Proposal
Thomas and Abby had been together for three years, and Thomas wanted to surprise the love of his life somewhere they could celebrate with close family and friends.
For this proposal, they chose the secluded Italian-inspired courtyard at Founder’s Hall. The Reserve sits in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with rolling hills, scenic trails, and Lake Keowee at the heart of the community. It’s such a quiet private oasis with surrounding mountains (and deer casually wandering through the property)!
About a week before the proposal, we drove about two hours to The Reserve at Lake Keowee to meet Abby’s mom in person and talk through the plan. I did a virtual walkthrough with Thomas so we could actually walk through the proposal together.
Originally, we planned for the proposal to happen around 6:30, followed by a family dinner at the clubhouse at 7:30, with the goal of making Abby’s detour to Founder’s Hall prior to dinner as natural as possible.
We talked about where Thomas would park and how he would bring Abby to the proposal spot, how he would know when to kneel, where I would be hiding, and what would happen after she said yes.
A video recording was also sent so he could rewatch and review the guide closer to the proposal. We love doing this with our grooms-to-be so they can get practice in before the real deal!
Why We Changed the Proposal Time
This is one of those little details that shows why a professional photographer is needed when planning a once-in-a-lifetime moment like this.
When I visited The Reserve and walked through the location virtually with Thomas, I noticed that Founder’s Hall sits down in a valley. Even though 6:30 sounded like a great evening time, the surrounding landscape meant the sunlight would disappear from the courtyard sooner than expected.
I recommended moving the proposal earlier to keep light as much as possible. Around 6:00 gave us enough time to work with everyone’s schedule while also giving us beautiful light for the proposal and their engagement portraits afterward.
The weather was cloudy when we first scouted the property, and thankfully, the sun came out for their big day!
The Big Surprise at Founder’s Hall
On the afternoon of the proposal, Abby finished teaching her students before she and Thomas headed to The Reserve. While they made their way toward Founder’s Hall, I was spraying bug spray and getting ready to hide behind a bush!
Thomas led Abby into the courtyard (as we had rehearsed virtually) and then asked her to marry him! She was so shocked!!
After they had a chance to celebrate together, we moved into their engagement portraits around Founder’s Hall and overlooking the lake.
From Proposal to Surprise Family Celebration at The Reserve Clubhouse
Of course, Thomas had one more surprise up his sleeve. While we were taking Abby and Thomas’s engagement portraits, their family and friends were gathering at the clubhouse for a surprise celebration overlooking the mountains.
After we finished photographing the two of them, they drove up to the clubhouse, greeted by all the whoops and hollers!
Thomas was so intentional planning both parts of the evening, bringing in all their loved ones to celebrate with them.
Planning Your Own Reserve at Lake Keowee Engagement
When you’re planning a proposal, there are so many little things happening behind the scenes that your partner never needs to know about.
Where should you propose? What time will the light be best? How do you get there without making it suspicious? Where will your photographer hide? What happens after the proposal?
That’s where I come in!
For Thomas, our walkthroughs and scouting gave us time to work through those details before he ever arrived with Abby!
Preserving Their Proposal
And after the proposal, we didn’t stop at a few pretty digital images.
It was such a joy planning and documenting this special moment for the Abby and Thomas and their families! To preserve it even better, I’m helping Abby and Thomas turn their favorite proposal photographs into a beautiful album they can bring into their wedding celebration. Years from now, they’ll be able to pull it off the shelf and remember not only the moment Thomas proposed, but the place, the people, the excitement, and everything that led them to their wedding day.
That’s one of my favorite parts of what I do. I don’t want your proposal photographs to live only on your phone. I want you to have something you can hold onto and come back to.
Some of Their Favorites
Looking for a Greenville SC Proposal Photographer?
If you’re planning a proposal at The Reserve at Lake Keowee or somewhere around Greenville, I’d love to help you think through all the details!
From scouting the location and planning the timeline to photographing the proposal, guiding you through natural engagement portraits, and helping you turn your favorite photographs into an album, I’ll be there to make sure you know what to expect before the big day arrives.
And when it’s all over, you’ll have more than a gallery sitting in your inbox! You’ll have printed photographs to display and hold as part of your story together.
To learn more about our full-service proposal photography experience, visit here.
Get in touch and let’s start planning your proposal!
