This is a few words about a Sydney marriage proposal (as the best romance novels say) at Strickland House, Vaucluse. Those who work in the wedding industry often acknowledge what a privilege it is to be invited into people’s lives, to witness the celebrations, and to see and hear how humans show and share their love, culture, and story. But there’s always a start to the start. People find each other and fall in love, somewhere, somehow. Well – that’s a bit too random to know that it’s going to be significant, at the time. But as love grows, people find that they’d like to spend the rest of their lives together.

So the “formality” is usually via a marriage proposal. And that’s like romance and commitment colliding. How does it go? Alice Munro’s “The Bear Came Over The Mountain” offers a glimpse at what might happen within a proposal…

Sand was stinging their faces and the waves delivered crashing loads of gravel at their feet.
“Do you think it would be fun — ” Fiona shouted. “Do you think it would be fun if we got married?”
He took her up on it, he shouted yes. He wanted never to be away from her. She had the spark of life.

When you think about it, it’s pretty brilliant when two people decide to say yes to each other. It’s actually been quite rare to be a witness to a marriage proposal. In fact, a decade ago, while in Paris, I think I saw more in one week than at any other point.

But they’re obviously happening. I guess there are more Sydney marriage proposals than weddings!? So there must be a lot! But they’re normally unseen. So it was really nice to get the call to come and be the photographic witness for Andy and Alessandra. And no, it wasn’t actually Alessandra asking.

There was a backstory. There needed to be, as in, a white lie being used to establish a reason, or alibi, for my presence. Easy enough that they’d had a conversation about taking more photographs together as a couple. Andy gave me some conversation points about the two of them and we took it from there.

I showed up forty minutes before they arrived at Strickland House. Had a quick scout around and checked where the engagement would take place, on one of the small beaches overlooking Sydney Harbour. That was still being set up, and we quickly worked out the plan, of a simple phone message once we were a few minutes arriving back at the beach.

A larger boat was berthed next to the shore, just a hundred metres from the proposal site. Taking the initiative, the coordinator from My Proposal Co headed over to the boat and asked them to either play Andy and Alessandra’s chosen music when they arrived or to go “radio” silent. Neither us of knew what they’d do. It’s Sydney. We play these things by ear.

Andy and Alessandra arrived, looking “en pointe”, and with Andy not showing any noticeable nerves. On the way down to the beach, we chatted, and took a few informal photographs, to fill the brief of “getting more photographs together”.

Just before we arrived at the proposal area, I skipped ahead so they could wander down together. And I suspect it was only at that point that the penny dropped for Alessandra. I stood back, and photographed them, as discretely as I could. I have no idea what Andy said. That’s for them.

But there’s no suspense required here. The upshot, of course, was that Alessandra said “Yes”. The boatload of party-people, who had so kindly gone radio silent, were now lined up watching the Sydney marriage proposal unfold, and then erupted with cheers as Alessandra bent to kiss Andy.

A Sydney skyline, that hadn’t shown much promise, lit up quite nicely. And two people, who’d found each other, were smiling, laughing and calling family with their very happy news.