Allie + Brent – Surprise Proposal!

I’m so excited to be writing about this!! I got to help one of my life besties get engaged, and it was the MOST fun.

Anyone who knows Allie loves Allie. She has the kindest heart, her love for her people is so strong, and she is a fun time and a half. I have been incredibly blessed to have her in my life and to walk alongside her as she met, feel in love with, and eventually said yes to forever with Brent!

Brent is perfect for Allie. He loves her so well, and we all have come to love him! Planning this proposal with him was a great experience and time to get to know him even better. When he came to me, he told me Allie specifically said that when the time came to plan a proposal, “Go to Danielle. She will know what to do.” So the day I got a ring picture and got the go ahead, it was on.

Brent chose the State Botanical Gardens in Athens, which was music to my ears since I am there for weddings quite a bit and have a great connection with the head of events. He picked February 6, 2021, and a little over a month before we literally walked the majority of the property trying to find the right spot. We knew Allie was suspicious of EVERYTHING (which I totally get, because, same when I knew Josh was proposing soon) and she had been a part of one of our other friend’s proposal the year before, so she knew my tricks, so this had to be the slickest, most believable scenario to get her to the Botans without suspecting a thing.

After choosing the back patio at The Day Chapel, because I knew it didn’t get much traffic and was easy to get to, it was time to plan. I texted my group of girlfriends, Allie included, and told them that The Botanical Gardens had approached me and asked me to do a Floral Showcase/Open House event to help promote their wedding spaces, and I would love it if everyone could come and support me. Of course, my other friends were in on it and knew exactly what was going on. They all were so pumped for me, and Allie was too! I mentioned that Josh had to be there (sorry, hubby) and that they could bring their guys too, if they wanted. So, the bait was set.

Next, I asked my photographer bestie, Sarah Folsom, if she would be up for capturing the day. She of course jumped on it and said yes! Ironically, Allie had mentioned to me before that she loved Sarah’s style after seeing some of the weddings we had done together, so I knew it was going to be captured in the way Allie loved.

I then used COVID to my advantage. I told my friends that we, sadly, couldn’t have the event open to the public anymore, so people would have to get a ticket and sign up for a timeslot. I gave them their timeslot, and even created fake promotional post on my Instagram stories with available timeslots for prospective brides to sign up for. Little did she know they were hidden from everyone else but her, my girlfriends, and Sarah!

The week before, my friend Jenna and I were in Atlanta, and I took her to my floral wholesaler and we sent Snapchat stories of us choosing the flowers for the showcase – when in reality we were choosing the color pallet for the proposal flowers. Since it was early February and NOTHING was blooming yet, I wanted to create a floral installation to give some color behind the proposal spot. And, you know, be a little extra. So we landed on LOTS of green, with whites, reds, and pinks. The end result was so pretty.

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I even sent videos to Allie of me working on the flowers – she pretty much knew about EVERY detail except for the fact she was getting proposed to. She knew I was having a photographer coming to capture behind the scenes, and that we had a videographer coming, too. Sneaky sneaky!

The morning of the big day, Brent sent me his location so I could see when they arrived at the gardens. We were praying away the rain, as the day was overcast. I started posting videos on Instagram about the showcase, as did Sarah! I shared Sarah’s story to mine and Allie responded, “Wait, this is the photographer you have coming today?? Yayyy!!!” We set up a table and some decorations as a “Check-In” station and had my sister, Caelan, manning it, ready to check them in. She later said thank goodness for masks because she might have given it all away without one on. Oh, and did I mention the Botanical Gardens was totally in on this with us? They put out their official “Private Event” signs that said “Oakwood Lace + Co. Floral Showcase.”

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Speeeeaking of masks, we then had to figure out how to get Allie in front of the proposal spot without a mask on. So we devised a plan to make the backdrop a “Kissing Booth” for Valentines pictures! I told the girls about it so they would know to dress cute – also sneaky!

I have never been so excited and nervous ever. Okay, that’s not true- I had felt this way the year before waiting for our other bestie, Kasandra, to be proposed to after helping plan her day, too. But being there, praying she had no idea – we were all anxiously waiting for them to arrive.

When Allie + Brent finally got there, Josh and I stepped up to the “photobooth” and started taking pictures together. We cute!

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Allie and Brent came down the stairs and I we all hugged and I thanked them for coming, and then introduced them to Sarah. We told them to step up and get their pictures taken – look how cute!

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I then asked Jenna if she wanted to go inside to see the rest of the exhibit, and we slowly walked away. Josh had a speaker set up, and hit play on their song, Dancing in the Dark by John Legend. Then Brent started saying sweet things, and Allie said that’s when she knew something big was coming!!

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Some of my favorite pictures are me and Jenna busting out of the building, beaming with excitement for Allie!

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Pure. Joy.

After lots of tears and squeals, Sarah took Allie + Brent to take pictures while we dashed to tear everything down and head to Allie’s house, where their friends and family were waiting to celebrate them. I’ll just leave these pictures right here, because holy cow.

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Okay, that RING!!! It was literally exactly what she wanted. So gorgeous!!

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I mean, how stinking sweet are they?!

Sarah came along to the after party and captured some sweet pictures of them and their family and friends, too!

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Kasandra finally made it to celebrate with us! Also, let us all be obsessed over the fact that Allie bought herself that “Bride to Be” headband before he even proposed and walk holding onto it for this very moment. She still wears it all the time, and it’s my favorite thing.

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Not that this whole thing hasn’t been sappy and sweet, but – Allie + Brent, thank you for letting me be a part of this day and the planning for your even bigger day! I am so glad you two found each other, and love each other so well. Throughout all of the planning with Brent, I could tell just how much he loves Allie and how his heart behind their proposal was for her to feel that, too.

Also very happy to report that Sarah and I are both part of the wedding day, so you best believe it is going to be captured beautifully and Allie’s flowers are going to be gorgeous. Can’t wait till we take this picture again with Allie in a wedding gown!!

Cheers to The Broomes!!