A Surprise Proposal on the Spanish Steps in Washington, DC | Arisa and Dickson

When Dickson contacted me about photographing his proposal to Arisa, I was so excited to be in on the surprise! He had the perfect day planned for her - they had friends visiting from out of town so Dickson was able to schedule activities without Arisa realizing anything special was going on. He even had a friend take her out to get her nails done so they'd be camera-ready when the time came.

The plan was for the group to take a walk with their adorable pup Chu, checking out a nearby park and then heading to the Spanish Steps in the Kalorama neighborhood of DC. I was hiding behind some trees at the bottom of the steps, waiting for them to arrive! Dickson texted me when they were close so I knew when to be ready. That's the nice thing about having other people in on the proposal plans - they could keep Arisa distracted while Dickson was secretly texting me!

Arisa was caught completely off guard, and her genuine surprise and happiness is so evident in the photos. I loved getting to witness this special moment and the Spanish Steps were such a perfect backdrop!

I just love the expressions on Arisa's face when Dickson got down on one knee and popped the question!

This one with her hand over her mouth is one of my favorites. That reaction is priceless!

After she said yes, Arisa realized her good friend Mimi was down at the bottom of the Spanish Steps watching the whole time. It was so fun that they had some of their closest friends nearby to see the proposal!

Awww little Chu was so cute. Just wanted to follow his mama and papa up the steps!

So much sparkle - I love this engagement ring!

Guys, dips are hard.  Everybody struggles with them, and I get to watch and laugh from behind my camera. It's awesome.

Nailed it. Just took a couple tries!

Chu's face is so perfect in this one! Dickson and Arisa look pretty cute too.

Thanks for letting me be a part of your proposal story!