This is the day I’ve been waiting for!! I can finally say out loud that my sister is an engaged lady! I’ve been planning her surprise proposal here in Nashville for months! Complete torture for me! I was on edge each time I texted her or spoke to her on the phone. So afraid I would somehow spill the beans! The only fix– avoidance.

Just so y’all know, my sister is my favorite person in the whole world. I’m not embarrassed to say it, she just is. So, you can imagine that I have prayed for her to find the perfect guy for her pretty much my whole life, and she did! Crosser was so determined to make her proposal so special and memorable. Each time we were on the phone discussing plans, all he said was “just as long as Caitlin is happy.” How sweet is that?

Here’s How It Went Down

Only a 30% chance of rain. Check. Two empty memory cards. Check. Two full batteries. Check. A nervous stomachache. Check. My best pokerface. Sorta Check. It’s 5:00. I text Hannah, “The eagle is soaring downtown.” She answers, “I’m on my way.” We make our way downtown Nashville and park in what we thought was a $4.00/hour parking lot, which we find out at the meter is actually $20/hour. No time to move. Swipe.

We begin our journey to the bridge in the thick September heat. Dodging tourists in cowboy hats and boots. Trying to hide our cameras in our bags so people wouldn’t ask us to take their photos. Spoiler alert. It didn’t work. We start making the climb up the gradual ramp of the pedestrian bridge. One step closer to the big surprise. We watched the lighting and the crowds.

We practiced kneeling in multiple locations, trying to find the exact spot Crosser should pop the question. Yes! We found the perfect spot. And now we wait…

I check my phone. 6:14pm.

No texts.

I tell Hannah to distract me.

I check my phone again. 6:17pm.

Only 3 minutes. Still no texts.

I feel my phone vibrate.

My stomach clenches.

“They’re coming!”

Act natural. Hannah tells me.

I see them coming. I’m trying to act natural. My sister is about to have one of the biggest, most impactful moments in her life, and I am supposed to capture the whole thing so our entire family can see her reaction. No pressure.

They walk up. We pose them for a photo. He smiled at me nervously. He kneeled. She said yes!

Ready for the behind the scenes?

Lots of hugs and lot’s of happy parents!!

Congrats, Caitlin and Crosser! I’m over the moon for y’all!!

xo.Chelsea