A Proposal at the TWA Hotel | Surprise Engagement Photographer — Family and Newborn Photography Long Beach, NY |Teresa Geraghty Photography

In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, the last two weeks have been a whirlwind of uncertainty and fear. The media has been bombarding us with terrifying stories, the local grocery store shelves are bare and social media is filled with memes, articles and posts that further perpetuate the fear and madness.

In the midst of the hysteria, I had the privilege to witness what life is all about: love. I photographed an adorable couple as they embarked on a new stage of life together at the swanky TWA hotel. This couple’s love story is much like a storybook. The groom is from the Amalfi Coast in Italy. He met his bride while she was there visiting her father’s family, who also lives in Italy. The two began courting when he visited the states and. Afterwards, they engaged in a long distance relationship that involved commuting between countries to see each other until he ultimately moved to the US.

To commemorate their long distance relationship, the groom decided he would propose at the TWA hotel. If you have yet to visit this hotel, which prides itself on “60’s magic,” please do so as it is quite an experience. The hotel utilizes vintage furniture from TWA and is designed to create an authentic terminal from the era. From the moment you pull up to the entrance to the terminal, you truly feel like you are stepping back in time.

There are many beautiful locations at the hotel, but the groom chose to pop the question on the tarmac in front of Connie, the hotel’s restored Lockheed Constellation L-1649A plane, which now serves as a cocktail lounge. As much of this couple’s courtship involved airplane travel, it was the perfect spot for them to “take off” into this next phase of their relationship.

The tarmac at the hotel is usually bustling with travelers and tourists, but on this gorgeous and sunny afternoon, there was only one or two other customers on site. To blend in, I posed as a traveler and sat with my suitcase and a book in front of the ice skate rental booth. When the couple finally arrived, I used my zoom lens and was able to capture his girlfriend’s surprise as he dropped to his knee and asked her to be his wife. I try my best not to get emotional when I photograph proposals, but I am a sap and I teared up because she was so surprised and elated. It truly is an honor to document such a special and private moment for my clients.

While the proposal was taking place, the girlfriend’s family was upstairs in the Lisbon Lounge of the hotel watching the whole event take place. Once the proposal was over, the family came down to the tarmac to congratulate the couple. I was able to photograph everyone’s happy reaction to the news and also grab a quick few family photos.

Afterwards, the newly engaged couple and I did a short couples mini session. There are so many beautiful and colorful locations at the hotel. It truly is a photographer’s wonderland. We began at their favorite location in the hotel, which is the Sunken Lounge. I think these are my favorite images from the day. I just love the rich red color of the lounge in contrast to the bright white aesthetic of the building. These sweethearts were focused on only each other and I think you can really see their love for one another.

Because they commuted by plane to see each other in the early part of their relationship, we opted to use locations in the hotel indicative of travel, such as the arrival/departure screen, the museum of TWA uniforms, and the luggage truck. We ended the session in a lounge with an abundance of beautiful light on the upper level in which the couple cozied up to one another, beaming with love.

I always leave engagement sessions with a warm heart, but after this particular session, I felt it even more so. I believe that there is no happier moment in life quite like those few moments after you get engaged; but in the wake of the imminent lockdown, the session served as a reminder of what matters most in life and that is love and family. With this in mind, I am choosing to look at the next few weeks as an opportunity to spend some quality and uninterrupted time with those I love the most.

On that note, while you are at home doing your part to “flatten the curve,” here are some of images from this sweet couple’s session to brighten your day.