If you’d like to get a glimpse of a “dream proposal”, look no further! Two Broadway actors, young and in love, get engaged on a beach in Bermuda! I’ve dubbed it “Broadway on Bermuda”; cute, right? Josh Paul Young - who played the role of “Judas” in Jesus Christ Superstar; a role which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - first got in touch with me last October and inquired about a Proposal Photo Package. We picked the date for the shoot and the location: Jobson's Cove!
Josh came up with a detailed plan for him to pop the question to his girlfriend, the ever so talented actress and singer, Emily Padgett. As an actress, Emily is often asked to model for photographers. Josh's plan consisted of me pretending to be the cousin of a mutual friend of Emily's. This friend told Emily that her "cousin" (myself) wanted to take photos of her while she and Josh were as on vacation in Bermuda at Jobson's Cove. Before we linked up, I told Josh my secret "hand signals" to let him know I was ready to capture him popping the question! I took a few photos of Emily solo and when she was least expecting it, gave the signal to Josh to join her by the water's edge for his big moment!
Emily’s reaction was priceless! As he got down on one knee to present the ring, Emily gasped and jumped up and down with excitement. Emily shed a few tears as Josh put the ring on her finger. From there, we started with the next “chapter” of the photo shoot: Engagement Photos! It's always an amazing feeling to photograph a proposal and then also have time for an Engagement Session afterwords. While we explored the different paths, beaches and inlets, Emily said the two of them had met through their their manager! How romantic!
As the sun began to set , a gorgeous glow of light appeared and the water appeared more teal than usual. We made our way to the next beach. Before their trip to Bermuda, Josh had told me he was acting in a play at the Shakespeare Theatre in my hometown of Washington D.C. We compared notes on the “ins-and-outs of living in the City and it was interesting to hear about their time in D.C. The two have since moved back up to New York City and Emily will soon be “gearing up” for her next Broadway Role as Mrs. Buckett in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which opens March 28th at Lunt-Fontanne Theatre!
Josh and Emily were brave souls on this cold winter day in January! Contrary to popular belief, the water does get cold in Bermuda although this did not stop Josh and Emily from getting in the water! As we walked back towards the parking lot, we passed Jobson's Cove again. I said, "Do you guys want to re-enact the proposal? Eh? Eh?" Josh and Emily immediately took their spots, got into "character", and nailed their own rendition of their proposal; an amazing performance; two thumbs up!
At the end of the shoot, I gave the two a ride back to Newstead, where they were staying. After their stay at the hotel, they were going to board a cruise ship where Josh would be performing his one-man show for the next few nights. I was thankful to help Josh capture this special moment in their lives and had a blast working with the two of them! Please join me in congratulating the two of them as they start their new lives together!
For press inquiries, please email Melanie Fiander of Fiander Foto at "info@fianderfoto.com".
