A **real proposal** not the photoshoot after… all the moments– from the drippy mascara tears, to the joyful reception, to Tim’s back flip, to their sand dune climb, sandy toes and spilled champagne, all of it!! Don’t miss this incredible story here:
This Wildwood Beach Proposal was Tim’s secret mission and one that I felt so lucky to witness and capture firsthand! This blog tells the whole story and shares all the moments– the drippy mascara tears, joyful reception, back flip, sand dune climb, sandy toes, and spilled champagne, all of it!!
He not only found the perfect place but also invited their closest family members and friends to witness from a nearby balcony! Tim and I texted for weeks leading up to the event, after seeing the quote on this arch, I knew exactly why he settled on this location in Wildwood, New Jersey!
Why Rhinehart Photography?
Tim shares, “You had photographed a family friend of ours and came highly recommended. After looking at your work, it was clear to me that you are so creative and put so much passion and love into your photos.”
He continues, “On the day of, we appreciated how willing you were to adapt to our crazy personalities (by capturing us climbing sand dunes and my backflips), incorporating different lighting, and making sure to keep snapping away so Hannah had a lot of opportunities to find at least ONE photo she liked! We can’t wait to have you photograph our wedding day!”
I love this shot of him looking down at Hannah’s sparkling ring (seriously, it’s glowing!) and just their expressions here:
Wildwood Beach Proposal
Hanna says, “North Wildwood is the first place we went together as a couple, and we’ve been there so many times since! Since Tim’s family has a beach house there, and we have gone every Memorial Day, Labor Day, and many weekends in the off-season. We have made a plethora of memories there, and look forward to many more in the future!”
I wanted to include the iconic Wildwood Street sign in this silhouette:
Tim’s Intricate Plans
I love that he spent so much time planning out the proposal. He texted me for a few weeks leading up to it, even a picture of the ring!!
Tim shares, “I planned out everything. I even chose to wear a pink shirt so that our friends and family could spot us walking down the boardwalk and get their cameras ready!”
Here he pours the champaign and it spills a little (throwback to an earlier drink spilling story that you’ll need to read the whole blog post to find out)
The Engagement Ring
Hannah shares, “I always knew exactly what type of ring I wanted: the basic, round stone with diamonds on the side of the band, but since Tim was not interested in going ring shopping with me, I had to make sure he knew what I loved!”
She continues, “Tim explained to me that he’s been secretly meeting with the jeweler for months because the ring was fully customized to best compliment my fingers. I love the unique twist he put on the generic ring because now it’s that much more special knowing that no one else has a ring like this!”
When I shoot I carry a backpack with plenty of lenses. I knew capturing this beauty would be key and brought my 100mm macro lens along to capture shots just like this:
Family Matters
Hannah always talked about how she wanted to celebrate her engagement with her family, so Tim made sure they were there for the big moment.
Tim had them hidden at the top of the Matador Resort and Hannah didn’t know they were there until they started cheering after she said yes!
Although Hannah cried a lot during the proposal, she cried even more when she realized the people closest to her were there to share the experience with her!
All of the family loved that they were able to see the Wildwood Beach proposal happen!
So many hugs and smiles were shared! I thought it was so cool that the American Flag was waving in the background here that I squatted down to catch it in the frame:
Wildwood Beach Engagement at the Arch
Tim shares, “As Hannah mentioned, Wildwood Beach itself is significant to us and our family. I wasn’t sure at first but finally decided on proposing under the Wildwood Beach arch. I knew that the quote at the top of the sign said, “Through this arch walk the happiest people in the world,” I thought it’d be the perfect backdrop.”
Traditional Photos, too!
I know most of the photos up to this point have been candid moments from Tim’s actual proposal. While moments and emotion are my main focus points as a photographer, I also realize that getting more traditional portraits are key, too.
Up for Anything, Literally
Tim and Hannah are athletic, high-energy, and up for anything.
I knew they both trusted me fully so the sky would be the limit with their photos, quite literally in this case!!
I saw this sand dune and knew it’d be a super cool spot for photos!
A Hundred Dolphins (My Story)
Little did I know, when I climbed it the next morning (Tim’s mom insisted I stay in their beach house that evening) and sat at the top at sunrise, that I would see a pod of about 100 dolphins playing together from that vantage point!! I literally sat up there for an hour!!
Enough about me, though, back to Hannah and Tim!! Sexy!!
Real Love
I love the authenticity of this image, it shows their natural, real-life love. The love that is more beautiful because it’s windblown and scruffy, the kind that shows the lines in your eyes that are from so many smiles, this is the sort of love that lasts a lifetime:
Tiptoes and cool, Spring, ocean water…
Real Life
Sandy feet piggyback and pockets stuffed to the brim– *real life*
I remember seeing my husband’s travel backpack side pocket change from carrying a Nalgene bottle to a sippy cup and wipes and being like, *this*, this is what I wanted!!
I don’t know if that makes sense but I’m all about it.
Fearless, Athletic, Fun
Hannah & Tim are such an adventurous couple even from the moment they met.
She says, “We met in 2016 playing rugby. It took a while for me to realize I liked Tim as more than a friend. Once we started seriously talking, we loved each other’s personalities and were able to talk all day without ever getting bored.“
Tim shares, “North Wildwood fits right into our outdoor lifestyle! We take walks on the boardwalk, go to the beach, run races and go to the skatepark together.”
Their session was so much fun complete with backflips, climbing sand dunes & jumping the iconic beachballs of Wildwood!
Their Own Family Someday
They both agreed, “North Wildwood is now even more special to us. Hopefully, it will be a place where we can raise our own family.”
Something about the piggyback here just fits…
An Entire Drink Spilled on Hannah
Tim laughs, “Hannah and I are very athletic, but we both can be pretty clumsy at times. The first time we went out for drinks with teammates after practice, I was sitting next to Hannah.”
Continuing he says, “At one point, I turned around and knocked an entire drink all over her lap. I thought I made a terrible first impression and that I had no shot with her after that. Little did I know, that brought us closer and we started talking more frequently after that night”
I love this story! These two are so much fun to be around!
Their Competitive Sides
Hannah shares, “We are crazy (mostly Tim), and always push our bodies to the limit. Tim has run 2 half marathons and 1 10 mile race with Hannah just to help her set new PRs! We even ran a race the morning of the proposal!”
How cute are they? Match made in heaven!
Encouragement & Shared Interest
They share, “Over the course of our relationship, we have helped each other be comfortable in any situation. We encourage each other to always try new things which helps us grow stronger together. Our personalities, and interests mesh so well!”
The smile, “We can’t wait to see what the future will hold!” I love how this photo matches their sentiments:
Hungry for More?
Love this Wildwood Beach proposal and engagement session?
- More Engagement Sessions Here
- More Wildwood Sessions Here
- More Beach Sessions here
3 thoughts on “Wildwood Beach Proposal: Hannah & Tim”
Congratulations!!! Hannah and Tim. I wish you both the best!!! Live life to the fullest!!!
Thank you so much Janet!!! ❤️
We have been to Wildwood beach and love it there would love to go there again no doubt time there was fun enjoying the family atmosphere food was reasonable loved the boardwalk hotel room could be a little better but it wasn’t to bad plan to go again the place is beautiful the beach is clean want to go before summer is gone