When Willie reached out to me about photographing his spring lakeside proposal to Erika at Noerenberg Gardens, I was immediately excited. Noerenberg is such a great proposal location in the Twin Cities, and after a long Minnesota winter, everything was finally starting to wake up again. We had a warm May morning, a little breeze coming off the lake, and the leaves had popped out the week before, giving the gardens that fresh green color that makes spring proposals feel so damn good. But the backstory behind how Willie found me might be my favorite part.

A Thoughtful Plan From the Start

As Willie was planning the proposal, he started looking into photographers for both the proposal and their future wedding. At some point, he did what any dedicated fiancé-to-be would do and investigated Erika’s Instagram activity a bit. And by “investigated,” I mean he noticed she was already following me.

The second he told me that, I thought it was incredibly considerate. Instead of randomly picking a photographer, he focused on the work she already enjoyed. It was such a small detail, but it said a lot about how intentional he was throughout the entire process.

The proposal location itself was meaningful, too. Noerenberg Gardens sits along Lake Minnetonka and is close to Willie’s parents’ house. It’s a place they already visit from time to time, making it feel familiar and personal rather than just a pretty backdrop.

As a Minneapolis proposal photographer, I always tell people that the best proposal locations aren’t necessarily the most extravagant ones. They’re the places that already mean something to you. This one checked both boxes.

Their Lakeside Proposal at Noerenberg Gardens

The morning could not have cooperated better. The gardens were looking beautiful, the lake was calm, and there were just enough people around to make it feel alive without being crowded. Spring in Minnesota can be a gamble, but this day felt like the universe was giving us a little assist.

As we got into position, I tried to blend into the scenery and pretend I was just another person hanging around the gardens with a camera. No matter how many proposals I photograph around Minneapolis and the Twin Cities, there’s still this tiny window where you’re hoping everything unfolds exactly as planned. It’s exciting every single time.

When Willie got down on one knee under the lakeside pavilion, Erika was completely surprised. The moment was emotional, genuine, and everything a proposal should be. And of course, she said yes.

See this proposal at the Hewing Hotel!

A Little Celebrity Moment

After their lakeside proposal, we spent some time walking around the gardens for engagement photos and soaking in the excitement of what had just happened.

Then came one of my favorite moments of the entire day. Willie finally told Erika that I was actually the photographer who had been documenting everything.

The funny thing is, I hadn’t even introduced myself yet. Before I could say my name, Erika looked at me and said:

“Oh my god, are you Maddi?!”

I genuinely laughed. For a brief second, I felt like a celebrity, which is not a sentence I ever expected to say about myself.

As someone equal parts introvert and extrovert depending on the day, moments like that are always a little surreal. Most of the time I’m just hanging out behind a camera, editing photos at my desk, or talking with couples over coffee. So having someone recognize me from Instagram before I even introduce myself was pretty freaking cool. Mostly, though, it was just another reminder of how small and connected the Twin Cities wedding community can feel.

Planning a Proposal in Minneapolis or St. Paul?

Every proposal is different, but the best ones always come back to the same thing: choosing a location that means something and creating a moment that feels true to your relationship.

Getting to document moments like these is one of the reasons I love proposal photography so much. It’s real, emotional, and a little chaotic sometimes. But it’s the start of a brand-new chapter.

If you’re planning a proposal in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Lake Minnetonka, or anywhere else in the Twin Cities, I’d love to help you pull it off and capture every second of it. Click here to get in touch!