Ivana + Matt

Proposal and Styled Shoot
June, 2021

The Proposal

We had a beautiful venue, a gorgeous colorful theme, and the most amazing vendors on board for this styled shoot at State House. Now, all we needed were the models. My mind immediately went to Ivana and Matt- they’re a real couple who had been dating over a year, and they’re the sweetest people ever! I had so much fun with them the last time they were in front of my camera, so I was thrilled when they agreed to model for us.

When I found out Matt had ordered an engagement ring for Ivana, my suspicions began to rise. “Are you thinking of proposing to Ivana during the shoot?” I was absolutely thrilled when he said he was! For Matt, it made perfect sense. Ivana would already be all dressed up, with her nails done, and photographs galore. Plus, she would never see it coming since all of the prep was done for the shoot anyway! A perfect proposal situation!

We set Ivana up in the chair in such a way that she couldn’t see Matt standing right behind her. He couldn’t help but pull a few funny poses behind her back- and she never turned and saw him once! I gave Matt the cue: “Why don’t you come to the front and tell Ivana how much you love her.” He walked around and gave a beautiful speech about Ivana, he talked about how she had been his best friend since they met, and he can never spend enough time with her. I could see the gears in Ivana’s head turning. She probably thought this was a weird time to give a heartfelt speech, at the beginning of a photo shoot!

Once he knelt down on one knee and pulled out this STUNNER of a ring, her eyes got wide and she covered her mouth with her hands. Unsurprisingly, she said yes, and ran into his arms. You can see just how happy the two of them are, and I was ecstatic to be able to see such beautiful genuine emotion on both of their faces as they held each other.

The Shoot

The gorgeous bright colors we had chosen for the shoot seemed vibrant and almost glowing. The colors perfectly matched the huge smiles Matt and Ivana had on. We had some amazing florals done by Sister Stems that really tied the background together with Ivana’s overflowing bouquet. They petals stood out bold against the white silk of her Elizabeth Cooper dress, and she looked like an absolute goddess twirling around the open dance hall. (Am I the only one obsessed with this flowy dress?!)

What really caught your eye when you walked in was the towering masterpiece of a cake created by Sweet E’s Bakery. Four cake layers, with a crystal center, and a beautiful sugar glass topper! Truly a work of art, and so so delicious too. If I could survive off of nothing but her cake for the rest of my life, I would.

We ended this romantic (and hectic!) night with two different specialty exits- a ribbon exit and a sparkler exit. Ivana and Matt ran through a tunnel of color and sparks and gave us the most stunning dip I’ve seen to date! They told me afterwards that they had practiced getting the perfect dip right for the photos- and it totally paid off!

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing vendors. Each vendor put in so much hard work, and without them, those incredible people, it would not have happened. We have an amazing community here in Utah, and you can see through their work that they are all total pros!

Ivana and Matt, you guys have one of the sweetest love stories ever told. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness and joy together! I’m honored that I was able to participate in such a special moment. It’s clear to anyone looking in that you guys are mean to be, and I can’t wait to see where the future takes you two!

Vendors
Photographer: Savvy Leigh Photography | Venue: State House | Dress: Elizabeth Cooper Designs | Suit: DC Tuxedos | Florals: Sister Stems | Cake: Sweet E’s Bakery | Decor: @sarahlaynerentals | Hair: Hair by Adelynn | Sparklers: Utah Sparklers