Surprise Proposal on the Speaker's Balcony | Washington, DC | Geoff and Farah

Surprise proposal at the U.S. Capitol on the Speaker’s Balcony

Geoff’s surprise proposal to Farah on the Speaker’s Balcony of the U.S. Capitol was one of the most carefully orchestrated proposals I’ve ever photographed! Farah’s parents were in town visiting from Utah, so Geoff planned a “tour” of the Capitol through a friend in Speaker Pelosi’s office. It was the perfect cover to have her parents present without making her suspicious. Farah was working out-of-town that day, and Geoff was picking her up at the train station before going to meet her parents and Geoff’s dad (his mom couldn’t make it due to a recent surgery) at the Capitol. So their parents and I arrived early and waited in a conference room for the happy couple to arrive. It was so fun to witness their excitement beforehand!

For most proposals I’m just hiding with my camera and reveal myself after the big moment, but for this one I had an acting role! I pretended I was one of Nancy Pelosi’s staff members, and guided Geoff and Farah out to the Speaker’s Balcony to meet their parents and start the tour. I explained I was taking photos for a new brochure for the Capitol Visitor Center, and asked if they would be ok with me taking pictures of them on the balcony. Thankfully Farah agreed - that would have been a problem if she said no! After a few seconds of taking in the view, she asked Geoff how often the Speaker gets out on the balcony herself, and Geoff came up with the amazing line “probably only for special moments…. like this one” and dropped down on one knee!

A big thank you goes out to Jorge, Shivani, and McKenzie - the ACTUAL staff members who helped coordinate the logistics of getting us all in the right place at the right time!

 
 
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It was so special that Farah’s parents and Geoff’s dad were able to be there for the proposal! And lots of other family members were able to watch too via FaceTime.

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On our way out of the Capitol Building, the security guard stopped us to ask Geoff how it went. He knew that he was going to propose because he saw the engagement ring on the x-ray!

Capitol Building X-ray machine image showing the engagement ring
ProposalsMegan ReiComment