Alex and Nicole took to the USA for their first big overseas trip together. Knowing how much Nicole loved New York City, Alex decided to surprise her and get down on one knee during their Travelshoot. It's safe to say that Nicole wasn't the only one swooning...
Tell us a bit about yourselves!
Alex and I met five years ago in Adelaide at a mutual friend's 21st birthday party. He was in the Australian Army living in Brisbane and I was just finishing my three-year Visual Communication degree in Adelaide. Both our families live in Adelaide and we were both born there, but Alex moved away when he was 18 to join the Army, working in Telecommunications. Eventually, he ended up being posted in Brisbane.
We both weren't meant to be at our friends birthday the night we met, as Alex's Army leave wasn't approved and I wasn't originally invited... Somehow we both made it there - and I'm so glad we did! Could even call it fate.
What took you both to New York?
I've always loved travelling, since my parents took my sister and I to Europe for 6 weeks when I was 15. I caught the travel bug instantly and have always wanted to travel the world ever since! When I met Alex, he hadn't ever been overseas, so out first holiday together was a cruise to the South Pacific Islands in 2015, just before I moved to Brisbane. He enjoyed it and wanted to go again, so naturally I started planning our next holiday as soon as I got back! Experiencing New York and Las Vegas with Alex was something I couldn't wait for. We planned to travel to Vegas, Miami, do a Caribbean Cruise, Washington DC and then New York City! I saved NYC for last, as this was my favourite last time, and I just knew Alex would fall in love with it like I did!
What was your favourite part about New York?
Well, the proposal was definitely my favourite! Apart from that, I would have to say Central Park! I love so many things about NYC, but Central Park is on another level. You can't see the whole park in one day alone! Cycling through the streets and coming across a different, beautiful sight at every turn is an epic experience. The fountains, the lakes, the zoo - it's another world in there!
Seeing our first baseball game with the Mets was another highlight for me! I even bought my first foam finger haha!
Alex, talk us through what you had in store and planned for Nicole!
I knew how much America meant to Nic and once I knew we were going back to her favourite city, I knew it was the perfect place to propose. We had 7 nights in NYC at the end of our holiday, so I just had to work out where to do it. Nic wouldn't stop talking about spending a few days in Central Park, so I knew that would be perfect. I wanted it to be very romantic, so I talked to my friend and he helped me come up with the idea of capturing the proposal with a photographer - that's where Travelshoot came in!
I talked to our travel agent (who happens to be another one of our friends), and she had already organised a surprise Travelshoot for us in NYC, so it all worked out perfectly! Telling Nic about the Travelshoot was easy too, she was completely on board.
Nicole, can you talk us through your Travelshoot and whether you suspected anything?
Before the trip, a few of my friends kept telling me Alex might propose while we were away - they kept saying that it would be the perfect time! I shrugged it off because I didn't want to make the whole trip dependent on that fact. On our first stop in Vegas I kept joking about getting married in a chapel with Elvis, and he shrugged it off every time and laughed (little did I know that he was carrying my engagement ring around the whole time). About three days before he proposed, we were on our Caribbean Cruise and the marriage subject came up. Alex told me he wasn't ready for marriage yet in a very serious tone, and I wasn't too bothered at that time because we were having too much fun on our trip! So, it's safe to say I had no idea it was coming!
Tell us about the moment he popped the question!
We were about 15 minutes into the Travelshoot, strolling alone the paths through Central Park while Laura was scouting locations for us. We turned a corner and walked onto the top of the Glade Arch, where a man stood underneath playing some sweet sounds on his saxophone. It was extremely romantic! Laura directed us to stand side by side holding hands. We took a few photos and the next thing I knew, Alex was asking me to move over away from him... I had no idea what was going on, but it turns out Alex was going to kneel to propose, he just had to move me over a little so he could avoid kneeling in a puddle!
The next second, he was on one knee presenting a box with a STUNNING white gold engagement ring. He said "I love you so much Nicole, will you marry me?" The rest was all a blur! I was in so much shock that I didn't answer instantly, I just cupped my hands over my mouth for a bit! I said YES as soon as I recovered from the surprise and we hugged and kissed instantly. I remember the camera shutter going off like crazy, as Laura captured every scene in the moment. It was the most romantic thing that has ever happened to me and I will never forget how I felt! I was overwhelmed with extreme happiness; an unforgettable perfect moment!
What now for the two of you?
We've been engaged for almost 8 months now, and we're deep into planning our wedding which is another 8 months away! We will be getting married in Adelaide and travelling to Fiji for our honeymoon. We have a bridal party of twelve people and we can't wait to party it up with them and the rest of our family at the wedding!
We will continue to live in Brisbane for a while, as we love this city and the lifestyle. The weather is amazing almost all year around and the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast are a short drive away! Brisbane is home. We do miss our family and friends in Adelaide- it's hard being away from our close network of people all the time, but we visit as often as we can.
For now, we're enjoying our adventure in Brisbane!
What were your favourite parts about your Travelshoot?
The proposal was definitely the best! We enjoyed everything about the Travelshoot! Laura was amazing and gave us direction when needed, but also let us be ourselves and enjoy the moment. It was the perfect balance. I think one of the best parts is that we felt so comfortable in an environment we're not familiar with. We've never been in a professional photoshoot, but we would do it again! Laura also showed us some amazing areas in Central Park that added to the magical morning. Another part I love is the fact that we took a red umbrella from the hotel because it was raining that morning - it turned out to be the perfect addition in our photoshoot!
The 29th May 2017 was a magical, unforgettable day and Travelshoot made it even better because we get to relive the memory with our amazing photos!
Planning on popping the big question?