Toby Hoogs Photography Blog

To Justyna it was just a romantic dinner at the Fairmont Orchid during a dream Hawaiian vacation. To Martin, it was one of the biggest nights of his life! With an engagement ring in his pocket and his fingers crossed, he put his plan into action as the two of them arrived at the Orchid for their dinner reservation and met Toby at the entrance. Toby, hired in advance by Martin to capture their surprise proposal and hopefully, engagement, acted as a photographer in need of a few volunteer models. Martin, of course, knew what was going on and Justyna went along with it without a clue letting Toby lead them around the property to a predetermined spot on the beach. When they reached that spot – a fallen coconut tree , Toby and Martin winked at each other.  Justyna took a seat on the tree while Toby pretended to change a lens and  stepped back into the trees using a zoom lens to capture the moment but allow them their privacy. Martin got down on one knee and pulled out the beautiful round cut diamond engagement ring! Justyna was completely surprised and immediately said yes as tears of joy trickled down her smiling cheeks. Giddy, the two of them exchanged hugs and kisses as Toby captured the whole experience until they finally went to their dinner table for a champagne toast. By hiring Toby to capture these beautiful photos, Martin made sure they could share this special moment with friends and family when they return home and remember this joyous occasion for the rest of their lives together! 11-21-11

Here is what the groom had to say about the whole experience:

“A few months ago, my girlfriend and I booked a trip to Hawaii for a friend’s wedding.  I figured this would be the perfect place to get engaged. What better location and ambiance can you possibly have then the one created with a Hawaii sunset in the background.  More importantly, I wanted to do it in a way that was unique, creative,  fun and captured every emotional moment. 
Since I wasn’t very familiar with Hawaii, I was able to use yelp, blogs, and trip advisor to  find a photographer . I was very fortunate to come across Toby Hoogs  (aka the best photographer…period!!) He was the key in pulling off the entire secret proposal.  I let him know how I wanted the surprise to go down and he gave me a list of locations that he thought would be perfect for the occasion. That is how we came to doing the shoot at Browns’ Beach house at the Fairmont Orchid. 
The most memorable moment was the proposal itself.  It was in a very intimate and secluded area of the island. The sunset was in the background and created a picture perfect setting for the big question. Toby was hiding behind the palm trees and captured ever moment and all of the emotions that went with the proposal. We have an amazing array of pictures of the engagement leading up to the proposal, which make my fiancé cry and relive the moment every time she looks at them. Thank you again for doing such an amazing job! We are thrilled with all of our pictures! ” -Martin