Travis had an idea.

He wanted to propose to his girlfriend, Allison. She’s a librarian by profession, and her favorite bookstore is 2nd & Charles in Midlothian, which is close to Richmond, Virginia.

So, Travis, being the romantic type, came up with the idea to ask Allison to marry him at her favorite bookstore, 2nd & Charles!

Travis contacted the bookstore manager and asked if it was possible to propose at 2nd & Charles. Their response, YES! Travis and the manager, Ricky, discussed the best time and place to get down on one knee.

Travis ultimately decided that he would ask Allison to dinner, and on the way, he would randomly stop at her favorite bookstore to grab a title he’s been wanting to read… BBC’s Doctor Who, 12 Doctors 12 Stories.

Boom, Travis had a plan.

The Surprise Dr. Who proposal was in the works

when Travis asked his sister to reach out to local photographers to document his hopeful engagement to Allison. That’s when I spoke to his sister, and she told me the plan for her brother’s big surprise engagement.

It sounded like a great idea, and a Nancy Drew style engagement session was something I would totally enjoy! I quickly told her I would love to help!!

That same day, they offered me the job, and of course, I immediately accepted. I was so stoked to be able to document such a special moment in their lives.

The Engagement

On the day of their engagement, I arrived at 2nd & Charles early ( I really dislike being late) to talk with the store employees and get a feel for where I should hide. I also took some photos of the ring and the store to tell a bit of a story.

The engagement ring was beautiful. The location was very orange – but hey, what can you do? Things like this aren’t based on the perfect photography conditions.

Travis and I remained in communication up until they arrived, so I hid behind a book cart, adjacent to the Doctor Who section of the store, where Travis would guide Allison to propose.

As I waited, a few people walked by the bookshelf where Allison’s ring was secretly hidden, and I thought, oh nooooo…. their going to grab the book with the Allison’s ring!!! Luckily, that didn’t happen, and Travis walked strait to the Doctor Who section, and dropped down to one knee in front of Allison.

It was it… the moment we were all waiting for! Click, click, click, snap, snap, snap. I took a hundred photos in 5 minutes. It all happened so fast (that is why you hire a photographer). She said yes, and I thought “Mission Accomplished!”

I had so much fun planning and participating in their surprise engagement!

If anyone is planning a super, sweet surprise proposal… I say go for it!!