Proposal at Rattlesnake Ledge | Seattle Wedding Photographers

Darryl Ann & Joe’s Proposal at Rattlesnake Ledge

Exactly a month ago, Joe and I got engaged on a hike to Rattlesnake Ledge! The past month has been a whirlwind, and today we’re so excited to share with you the full story – and more photos – of Joe’s proposal at Rattlesnake Ledge (Thanks to our amazing friend, Robin).

March 4th started off more or less like a regular day. We had taken the day “off” (whatever that means when you work from home, right?) so we could take our friends, Jon and Robin, who just moved to Washington, on a hike to Rattlesnake Ledge. I had no suspicions when Joe steered me towards plain black leggings to hike in, instead of the pink and black ones I had originally laid out. The four of us, and three dogs, packed into the Subaru and we headed out to North Bend.

It was a beautiful day for a hike, and thankfully the trail wasn’t too busy. We made it to the ledge after Joe set a grueling pace up the trail (which looking back, is totally out of the ordinary). After we reached the Ledge, I stood back with the dogs, while Joe set up his camera, which he insisted on bringing. I thought he wanted to take advantage of the fact we’d be in such an amazing spot with a couple we could photograph! We got Jon and Robin up on a rock with a gorgeous view of the valley, and Joe started photographing them (I was shouting what direction I could from my safe position with the dogs). After a few minutes, Joe handed the camera off to Robin, and I thought it was our turn for a victory photo on the ledge. As soon as I got up on the ledge with Joe, I was totally distracted by the view down to the lake, and I tried to get Joe to turn around and look – but he was fiddling with something in his pocket. The next thing I knew, a gorgeous ring came out, and my first thought was that the whole morning had been a dream, because (and I believe I repeated this over and over again) “this is not real life.”

Not only did Joe completely surprise me with the proposal at Rattlesnake Ledge, but over the course of the next few minutes, a couple more surprising tidbits emerged.

Joe had purchased the ring just two days before we left Manhattan, Kansas in July to move to Washington. That means he had kept the ring, and the big secret, hidden from me for 9 months. (Apparently in the bottom drawer of his dresser, since he knows out of principle I won’t put his clothes away!)

Speaking of the ring, I unknowingly, more or less picked it out almost a year and a half ago when I pointed it out in a jewelry store window one night as we walked to a restaurant for date night. It caught my eye because it was so unique, since the center stone is morganite, not diamond. We subsequently spent the entire rest of that night researching morganite, and also found out the largest peice of morganite ever recorded was found in Maine! Unbeknownst to me, Joe went back to the jeweler for the very same ring a few months later.

One of the funniest facts to me, (more frustrating probably for Joe) is that this was the third plan Joe had to come up with to propose. He had the ring in his back pocket when we went Christmas tree shopping in November – and I have to admit that I was a huge grump that trip – so it didn’t happen then. He also had plans to surprise me while my sister was in town, on a trip to Hurricane Ridge. That trip never happened, because I ended up taking Sophie on an emergency trip to the vet that day! Apparently third time’s the charm!

We’re so excited to start down the journey of wedding planning, and building the rest of our lives together! If you have any advice or tidbits on wedding planning, we’d love to hear them!

-Salt & Pine

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