Andrew & Averi | North Fork, Glacier National Park

Andrew reached out to me a few months ago with a plan to surprise his girlfriend, Averi, with a marriage proposal on their trip to Glacier National Park. He was envisioning a beautiful field somewhere with huge mountains in the distance and he wanted to pop the question right at sunrise as the sun came up over the mountains. I knew just the spot!

I woke up at 3am and drove about an hour and a half (mostly on a dirt road) to the North Fork district of Glacier National Park. Even with sunrise shoots, I always try to arrive early so I can familiarize myself with the area and find the best angles. As the world slowly brightened, I could make out the Livingston mountain range in the distance. With just a few clouds in the sky, it was shaping up to be the perfect morning!

At 5:30am (right on time!) Andrew, Averi, and their friends rolled down the dusty road in their rented U-Haul truck. I had already tucked my car away in a cabin driveway so they didn't notice me. They jumped out of the van with blankets to enjoy the view. I told Andrew to wait to propose until the moment the sun rose over the mountains, so everyone held tight for about 20 minutes. Then, as the first golden rays touched the world, he took Averi's hand and led her into the meadow. He wrapped her in a big hug and they whispered into each other's ears, then he dropped to one knee and asked the most important question of their lives. She immediately sank into his arms with an emphatic "YES" and they held each other while happy tears flowed. After a few moments, they turned to their friends for a happy celebration!

With the proposal done, it was time for a quick engagement session! We spent an hour laughing and running around the meadow, capturing their pure joy and excitement. Andrew and Averi were so natural together - I swear, you can feel their love for each other just by looking at these photos. We made sure to capture plenty of smiling shots, but we also got a ton of candid and authentic moments. I love giving my couples fun prompts like “play tag” (which these two took very seriously) or “take a nap in the grass together” to keep things loose and natural.

If you're planning a surprise proposal in Montana, let's chat! My proposal packages start at just $1200 and include alllll the planning help you need (location suggestions, timing and logistics, what to wear, how to keep the big surprise, etc.), complete photography coverage of the proposal plus an hour-long engagement session to follow. You’ll receive a same-day sneak peek gallery with tons of highlights perfect for sharing the big news, then your final gallery will be ready within four weeks.

You can view Andrew and Averi’s full gallery, here: Surprise Sunrise Proposal in Glacier National Park