As Seen on TLC! John David Duggar’s Proposal to Abbie in Fredericksburg!

Last night aired TLC‘s Season 9 premier of Counting On, a tv show that follows the Duggars from 19 Kids and Counting as they start families of their own. And you can find me on S9 Episode 1 photographing a surprise proposal!

>>>> Check out the full episode – “Love is the Air” HERE on TLC! <<<<

Everyone asks me what brought all this about, so I’ll tell ya my secret… it started with a prayer. For real!

That summer I was recovering from a series of big heartaches. It felt like loss and heartache was becoming my new normal expectation for my life. But I got honest with God one day, and in it I came back to the truth that His banner over us isn’t “tough luck.” It’s LOVE. So I prayed with new courage, God, I know you are good, and you bring good things into my life.

And I’m not kidding… few hours later, I get an email from a tv producer! And few days later it was followed by call… no this is not fake news, we found your photography work online and we hope you’ll help us setup a surprise proposal for a show on TLC. WHAT?!? … um YES!!!!

God brought this good thing into my life.

And it was good and it was really really fun. John David and Abbie are even more adorable in real life than they are on screen. I was amazed that they were so caught up in each other that they seemed to barely notice all the extra media people (who were, btw, very fun to work with!) moving about them with video and photography cameras and boom mics and light stands. And to my amazement, John David and Abbie enjoyed that moment in bliss like they were the only ones in the room!

A little behind the scenes moment (thanks McKenzie Baird!) of me and one of the 6 video guys on the runway… and that’s the resulting photo they used to Save The Date!

I don’t normally bother with props in my photo sessions, but on this occasion I really wanted to find this Kate Spade scripted balloon that read “Love is the Air.” It was out of stock everywhere nooooo!! But I had to have it, and finally found one on eBay and they overnight shipped it just in time! Turns out it was more than a cute prop, it was personal- Abbie was like yasss balloons are my thing! And she wasn’t just saying that, there were balloons all over their wedding reception, as well as a huge “LOVE” sign literally hung set over their wedding banqueting tables – His banner over us is LOVE. Thanks Lord for your creative inspiration in the little personal details, You know us all so well.

There’s a few of their official engagement photos on the web that the network or the couple have released, and the rest rightfully belong just to them 🙂 But what a thrill to see even these few photos “fly” off with them all over the internet on sites I never imagined I’d see my work displayed – TLC, People, MSN, US Weekly, and entertainment blogs aplenty to spread their news.

I took a screenshot from this clip in the US Weekly video announcement, it sums up the bigger picture. It would have still been pretty cool to be on tv and shoot for a reality show of any kind (well maybe not the wild crazy ones), but what a privilege to photograph a couple that would use their media influence to point back to the worthiness of Christ. They had US Weekly and People Mag speaking this truth… >>>