I am biased about my June Featured Couple, Sarah Lancos and Kevin Cooke, for the following reasons:
1) I’ve been BFF’s with the bride since 6th grade.
2) I am a bridesmaid in their wedding this September 26th at Turf Valley in Ellicott City.
3) Kevin, owner of CPA Films, created an awesome wedding video from home video clips (that I love!)
4) Their engagement photos were taken by the talented Rachel Smith who was my wedding photographer!
Check out Kevin’s videography website-
http://www.cpafilmsvideography.com/
Check out Rachel’s photography website- http://www.rachelsmithphotography.com/
So this November proposal involved a romantic Baltimore restaurant, a personalized “Will You Marry Me?” menu and an after-party with friends to celebrate the wonderful occasion. Read my interview below to learn more details on how the proposal happened and their experience with taking engagement photos!
June Featured Interview:
Katrina: Describe the proposal in detail.
Sarah: We had planned to go out to a nice dinner together on the evening before Thanksgiving and then join our friends at a party in Federal Hill afterwards. Kevin took this opportunity to scope out restaurants in town to set the scene for a romantic proposal at dinner. Kevin suggested that we dine at Kali's Court Mediterranean Restaurant in Fells Point, Baltimore, where he had secretly arranged for the entire second floor dining area to be reserved for just the two of us. Our dinner consisted of beef, duck, meatballs, calamari, and crab cake tapas by candle light. When the waiter brought the dessert menu, Kevin handed it to me. It was a fake menu showing only the question, "Sarah, will you marry me?" and Kevin got down on one knee and proposed! The waiter surprised us with champagne and creme brulee to celebrate our engagement, then we left to meet up with our friends in Federal Hill. Kevin had previously notified our friends who were hosting the party that he would be proposing to me beforehand; the Thanksgiving-Eve party, unbeknowst to me and the guests, was also a surprise engagement party!
K: One of my favorite touches of the proposal was the personalized menu. Kevin, was it easy to get Sarah to open the menu?
Kevin: Sarah had actually mentioned earlier in the dinner that she wasn't interested in having dessert. Knowing that my proposal was on the dessert menu, I said that I was at least going to check out what they had. When the waiter came with the menu (there was only one), I said I'll just take a look at first and then give it to Sarah to check out. There wasn't anything to open or unfold; the proposal was the only thing to be seen. I waited a couple of seconds for the waiter to leave, then handed Sarah the menu and got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.
K: Sarah, what did you think when you opened the menu?
S: I was extremely surprised and excited when I saw the menu because it was clear he was proposing. A second later he was on one knee next to me saying the sweetest proposal with a gorgeous ring that he picked out for me. I said yes, gave him a big kiss and we enjoyed a champagne toast!
K: What was your favorite part of the proposal?
S: When we arrive at Kali's Court, there were a few tables filled on the first floor along with people seated at the bar. I kept speculating as to why the waiter sat us on the second floor where nobody else was seated. Our table was next to one of the few windows in the restaurant and we had a romantic view of Fells Point strung with white holiday lights. I told Kevin they probably seat people at the best seats in the house as the restaurant fills. After the proposal, Kevin revealed that he had the second floor reserved for us ahead of time and he chose where we would be seated, agreeing that they were the best seats in the house. I was charmed by his thoughtfulness towards his proposal and loved how he didn't flinch when I began my interrogation.
K: You were engaged the night before Thanksgiving. What was it like seeing so many family/friends so soon after the engagement?
Kevin: One of the reasons I thought the night before Thanksgiving would work well was because it would be the perfect opportunity to make sure we would see our family and friends without spoiling the surprise. I knew our friends always get together the night before Thanksgiving (a buddy of mine, Andrew Aleshire, was especially helpful in putting a party together) and I knew we were going to see our families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sarah: It was special to be able to relive and recount the story in person with friends and family, especially because it is a tale better told with emotion through face to face conversation. Getting engaged at the kickoff to a holiday also has the perks of the daily grind being set aside and beverages in hand for friends and family to share in our joy.
K: Advice for future people planning proposals?
Kevin: The only advice I have is to do the proposal earlier in the evening. Start the night off at the place you'll propose and then you can enjoy an evening filled with events you've planned without being nervous all night.
(I love that advice! Then you get more time to celebrate and relax.)
K: Your engagement photos look great! How did you choose the location for your engagement photo session?
Sarah: We definitely wanted the pictures to be outside. Even though we have been living in Baltimore together for a year, we have spent 20 years living in Ellicott City. I used to road bike and run at Patapsco State Park so I was familiar with the layout, photo ops and the way its image changed with the seasons. We decided to start our photo shoot in Historic Downtown Ellicott City because of its quaint character and it is where we often socialized as a new couple.
(I agree, Old EC is a cute little town that is a perfect backdrop for photos).
K: Tell me about the first attempt at a photo shoot. I head you guys were troopers despite the rainy weather.
Kevin: We had set the date about a month in advance. We were thinking that the bitterness of winter would be over. However, on the day of the shoot, the weather reports said rain in the afternoon so we bumped up the time by a few hours. We were hoping to get the shoot completed before the rain started but unfortunately it started pouring on our ride over to Ellicott City. We got a few shots in but ultimately had to reschedule!
K: How did you get comfortable during the photo shoot? I know I had a couple of glasses of wine before my engagement photos...
Kevin: I was definitely nervous going into the photo shoot. It was helpful that we had already had a little warm-up with the rained out photo shoot.
Sarah: Our photo shoot was during Lent and I gave up alcohol so sadly we weren't able to warm up with a few drinks beforehand! It helped that it was chilly outside to encourage more natural togetherness during the shoot. We were lucky that our photographer, Rachel Smith, was able to pick up on unique backdrops and offered plenty of suggestions. It made all the difference to have a photographer who was interested in getting to know us but at the same time was still able to capture the beauty of the park.
(Natural togetherness? Haha. I like it.)
K: So you are 3 months away from the big day. What are you most excited for about this special day?
Kevin: I can't wait to finally call Sarah my wife and party into the night with our family and friends.
Sarah: I am most excited to dress up as bride and groom. It will be surreal. And also party with family and friends!
Bonus Question:
Katrina: What is your favorite thing about each other?
Kevin: I can only pick one??! It's a three-way tie between her thoughtfulness, her sense of humor and her determination. And she's pretty.
Sarah: He's a man of his word and he knows how to treat a lady right. Plus I love his dimples.
How cute were those bonus question answers? Sarah and Kevin will officially say "I do" on September 26th at St. Paul Catholic Church in Ellicott City
The following photos were taken by Rachel Smith Photography.
1) I’ve been BFF’s with the bride since 6th grade.
2) I am a bridesmaid in their wedding this September 26th at Turf Valley in Ellicott City.
3) Kevin, owner of CPA Films, created an awesome wedding video from home video clips (that I love!)
4) Their engagement photos were taken by the talented Rachel Smith who was my wedding photographer!
Check out Kevin’s videography website-
http://www.cpafilmsvideography.com/
Check out Rachel’s photography website- http://www.rachelsmithphotography.com/
So this November proposal involved a romantic Baltimore restaurant, a personalized “Will You Marry Me?” menu and an after-party with friends to celebrate the wonderful occasion. Read my interview below to learn more details on how the proposal happened and their experience with taking engagement photos!
June Featured Interview:
Katrina: Describe the proposal in detail.
Sarah: We had planned to go out to a nice dinner together on the evening before Thanksgiving and then join our friends at a party in Federal Hill afterwards. Kevin took this opportunity to scope out restaurants in town to set the scene for a romantic proposal at dinner. Kevin suggested that we dine at Kali's Court Mediterranean Restaurant in Fells Point, Baltimore, where he had secretly arranged for the entire second floor dining area to be reserved for just the two of us. Our dinner consisted of beef, duck, meatballs, calamari, and crab cake tapas by candle light. When the waiter brought the dessert menu, Kevin handed it to me. It was a fake menu showing only the question, "Sarah, will you marry me?" and Kevin got down on one knee and proposed! The waiter surprised us with champagne and creme brulee to celebrate our engagement, then we left to meet up with our friends in Federal Hill. Kevin had previously notified our friends who were hosting the party that he would be proposing to me beforehand; the Thanksgiving-Eve party, unbeknowst to me and the guests, was also a surprise engagement party!
K: One of my favorite touches of the proposal was the personalized menu. Kevin, was it easy to get Sarah to open the menu?
Kevin: Sarah had actually mentioned earlier in the dinner that she wasn't interested in having dessert. Knowing that my proposal was on the dessert menu, I said that I was at least going to check out what they had. When the waiter came with the menu (there was only one), I said I'll just take a look at first and then give it to Sarah to check out. There wasn't anything to open or unfold; the proposal was the only thing to be seen. I waited a couple of seconds for the waiter to leave, then handed Sarah the menu and got down on one knee and asked her to marry me.
K: Sarah, what did you think when you opened the menu?
S: I was extremely surprised and excited when I saw the menu because it was clear he was proposing. A second later he was on one knee next to me saying the sweetest proposal with a gorgeous ring that he picked out for me. I said yes, gave him a big kiss and we enjoyed a champagne toast!
K: What was your favorite part of the proposal?
S: When we arrive at Kali's Court, there were a few tables filled on the first floor along with people seated at the bar. I kept speculating as to why the waiter sat us on the second floor where nobody else was seated. Our table was next to one of the few windows in the restaurant and we had a romantic view of Fells Point strung with white holiday lights. I told Kevin they probably seat people at the best seats in the house as the restaurant fills. After the proposal, Kevin revealed that he had the second floor reserved for us ahead of time and he chose where we would be seated, agreeing that they were the best seats in the house. I was charmed by his thoughtfulness towards his proposal and loved how he didn't flinch when I began my interrogation.
K: You were engaged the night before Thanksgiving. What was it like seeing so many family/friends so soon after the engagement?
Kevin: One of the reasons I thought the night before Thanksgiving would work well was because it would be the perfect opportunity to make sure we would see our family and friends without spoiling the surprise. I knew our friends always get together the night before Thanksgiving (a buddy of mine, Andrew Aleshire, was especially helpful in putting a party together) and I knew we were going to see our families for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Sarah: It was special to be able to relive and recount the story in person with friends and family, especially because it is a tale better told with emotion through face to face conversation. Getting engaged at the kickoff to a holiday also has the perks of the daily grind being set aside and beverages in hand for friends and family to share in our joy.
K: Advice for future people planning proposals?
Kevin: The only advice I have is to do the proposal earlier in the evening. Start the night off at the place you'll propose and then you can enjoy an evening filled with events you've planned without being nervous all night.
(I love that advice! Then you get more time to celebrate and relax.)
K: Your engagement photos look great! How did you choose the location for your engagement photo session?
Sarah: We definitely wanted the pictures to be outside. Even though we have been living in Baltimore together for a year, we have spent 20 years living in Ellicott City. I used to road bike and run at Patapsco State Park so I was familiar with the layout, photo ops and the way its image changed with the seasons. We decided to start our photo shoot in Historic Downtown Ellicott City because of its quaint character and it is where we often socialized as a new couple.
(I agree, Old EC is a cute little town that is a perfect backdrop for photos).
K: Tell me about the first attempt at a photo shoot. I head you guys were troopers despite the rainy weather.
Kevin: We had set the date about a month in advance. We were thinking that the bitterness of winter would be over. However, on the day of the shoot, the weather reports said rain in the afternoon so we bumped up the time by a few hours. We were hoping to get the shoot completed before the rain started but unfortunately it started pouring on our ride over to Ellicott City. We got a few shots in but ultimately had to reschedule!
K: How did you get comfortable during the photo shoot? I know I had a couple of glasses of wine before my engagement photos...
Kevin: I was definitely nervous going into the photo shoot. It was helpful that we had already had a little warm-up with the rained out photo shoot.
Sarah: Our photo shoot was during Lent and I gave up alcohol so sadly we weren't able to warm up with a few drinks beforehand! It helped that it was chilly outside to encourage more natural togetherness during the shoot. We were lucky that our photographer, Rachel Smith, was able to pick up on unique backdrops and offered plenty of suggestions. It made all the difference to have a photographer who was interested in getting to know us but at the same time was still able to capture the beauty of the park.
(Natural togetherness? Haha. I like it.)
K: So you are 3 months away from the big day. What are you most excited for about this special day?
Kevin: I can't wait to finally call Sarah my wife and party into the night with our family and friends.
Sarah: I am most excited to dress up as bride and groom. It will be surreal. And also party with family and friends!
Bonus Question:
Katrina: What is your favorite thing about each other?
Kevin: I can only pick one??! It's a three-way tie between her thoughtfulness, her sense of humor and her determination. And she's pretty.
Sarah: He's a man of his word and he knows how to treat a lady right. Plus I love his dimples.
How cute were those bonus question answers? Sarah and Kevin will officially say "I do" on September 26th at St. Paul Catholic Church in Ellicott City
The following photos were taken by Rachel Smith Photography.