Downtown Los Angeles Helicopter Proposal
When I was contacted by The Heart Bandits to photograph a helicopter proposal - I didn’t ask questions. I had no clue what I was getting myself into, but I was all in. Marvin and Michele, founders of The Heart Bandits, operate a nationwide proposal planning business that will bring any proposal to life in the most romantic, luxurious way you could imagine.
I have captured my share of gorgeous marriage proposals in my career, but Sammy and Tina’s goes down as the most exhilarating. The couple hovered above the hills of Los Angeles and took a celebrity home tour before tracing the coastline from the Northern tip of Santa Monica, overlooking a warm Malibu sunset. Pilot, Nick, then traveled south towards the Santa Monica Pier and back into downtown Los Angeles passing by Chavez Ravine (home of Dodger Stadium - for our out-of-towners) before landing on the Citibank building. Sammy got down on one knee the moment Tina stepped foot onto the rooftop and I could actually see the butterflies fluttering in her chest. Such an exciting moment to witness!
Congratulations, Sammy and Tina! Cheers to continuing the adventure together.
Finally, a helpful note - If you are planning an elaborate, EPIC proposal on a rooftop in complete darkness (this rooftop was pitch black after we landed) you need to hire a professional photographer who is prepared and skilled with lighting. Our rooftop landing was delayed approximately 40 minutes due to other flights needing to land on the same helipad, so the entire proposal happened long after sunset. Things like this are completely out of the couple’s control, out of the proposal planning service’s control and even out of the pilot’s control. I was well prepared and everything went off without a hitch!
