A Special Holiday Engagement for a Local Milwaukee Couple

Every once in a while we get a request so special to share we just can’t help but say yes. This was our immediate thought when we heard from Miranda at Reminisce Studio. We know you’ll fall in love with this local couple’s love story as much as we did!

It was such a magical moment photographing Jake’s marriage proposal to Gabby!

We’ve been photographing for Milwaukee Food & City Tours over this last Summer and Fall to showcase all their fun offerings on their new websites, and we had it in the books to capture their Christmas Lights & Desserts Tour this season as well. Shortly after setting up the details with us, Theresa from Milwaukee Food & City Tours heard from Jake: He wanted to propose to Gabby on this tour! The timing was perfect, as they were celebrating their 2nd anniversary, and they looked at the Milwaukee Christmas lights together on their first date.

Theresa helped coordinate the dates between their tours, Jake’s plans and Reminisce so that we could photograph the big moment! And my being there to photograph the tour for their website was the perfect built-in cover story. It also allowed me to sneak a few bonus photos of them throughout the evening, like them toasting with wine at Griege, holding hands on the bus while caroling and exiting the bus hand-in-hand.

Prior to the big moment, Jake scoped out the various parks on the route – Cathedral Square, Zeidler Union Square, Red Arrow Park, Pere Marquette Park and the Historic Third Ward – and decided in advance that Zeidler Union Square would serve as the final stop of the evening and the location for his proposal.

 On the tour, when we stopped at parks earlier in the evening, I captured portraits of various groups of guests with the lights and intentionally didn’t ask Jake and Gabby for a photo until our last stop. Then I mentioned that the Seasons Greetings backdrop would be fun (the spot that Jake picked out!), and we headed over. We started with the portrait, and then Jake got down on one knee… Gabby was so surprised!

After she excitedly said YES, we walked around the park a bit to get a few portraits of the lovebird. When they got back on the bus, everyone cheered for them and sang Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling in Love” to them. It was adorable and the perfect end to a perfect evening.

This story was provided by Miranda Zynda-Kneeland, Photographer, Co-Owner • Reminisce Studio