The view from the bluff at The Abbey Inn and Spa starts with Peekskill, which looks small at this height, and then continues into the distance with the Hudson River winding off in both directions. Amay had deliberately chosen this spot to propose to Catherine, his girlfriend of five years. In front of rose bushes and an elegant pergola, with that vast view as their witness, he dropped to one knee.
Photo by Matthew Rigby Photography
In the emotional moments that followed, she cried with joy, her makeup running down her face as she laughed, overwhelmed and overjoyed at the same time.
I took a wide angle photograph of him on one knee, the river and the city stretching out behind them. This was the image that he had always imagined from his proposal, and that he planned on printing large to hang on the bare walls of the apartment they had moved into together just last weekend.
Photo by Matthew Rigby Photography
In the next few minutes I worked around them quietly and allowed them to remain present in the feeling. After they approached me Catherine went inside to touch up her makeup, and I handed Amay a Tide wipe from my bag to clean the makeup off his shoulder. When they were ready we created their engagement session photos while the emotions were still running high. We started at the rose bushes, then moved around the corner to a fire pit area where they'd been the night before, just the two of them. Catherine shared memories of making s'mores when she was growing up while I set up my off-camera flash and created an image through the fire that blended their past stories into their shared present.
Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography
Engagement photos with meaning
Continuing on, the inn revealed itself in layers. Near the wine cellar, the old brownstone walls were draped in ivy and cathedral windows twinkled behind them. Amay said it reminded him of Hogwarts, they both laughed at his self-described inner nerd, and then we continued to explore the Inn as the light turned golden.
Along the way Amay shared about his mom, a photographer herself, who had always taken the family photos when he was growing up in Singapore or traveling internationally. Catherine talked about growing up in Maryland and how her parents were probably sitting at the same kitchen table they had shared meals at when she was young, tapping their fingers and holding their breath, waiting to hear the news.
Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography
Inside the Abbey Inn is a courtyard with a koi pond. Amay has lived in both Singapore and Australia, and in Singapore, koi fish are a sign of good luck. Although this pond didn't have thirteen fish like you're supposed to, the significance was there. It was another moment to acknowledge the meaning of their past lives, at the beginning of their lives together.
As the sun set fully, we moved back to the bluff for one final photograph. Amay had been given a specific pose by his mom that she loved. With the light behind them golden and full, we created that photo, which was the perfect way to end the emotional, creative, and authentic day.
Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography
How we planned their experience
Weeks prior, in our first conversation, Amay and I talked about how he and Catherine have already built a life together: they were both designers at the same company, they've since moved companies together, they now live together in Jersey City. He had the start of a vision for his proposal, and planned his whole weekend stay at The Abbey Inn in Peekskill to make it possible. As I listened to his vision, we created a plan that worked logistically while honoring both the importance of this moment and the stories of their pasts. Nothing felt rushed, nothing was missed, and they had space to be themselves during this pivotal moment.
The week before, he and I did a FaceTime walkthrough at the same time of day so we both knew what to expect, what the light would do, and where the moments would unfold. He knew what he wanted to document, and I knew how to be there for it. More importantly, Catherine got to experience her proposal exactly as he'd imagined it, in a place with meaning to them. Their engagement photos reflected the stories they shared of their past lives and the family who had gotten them to this point, and the boundless view of the Hudson Valley, drenched in golden light, represented the future they are building together.
Photos by Matthew Rigby Photography
Planning your own proposal experience?
A proposal is one of the few moments in your relationship that exists entirely for the two of you. If you're thinking through the details, the location, the light, or the photos you want to walk away with, I'd love to be part of that conversation early. The planning is where it all begins.
Locations and photography
Proposal location: The Abbey Inn and Spa
Post-proposal dinner: RameNesque
Photography: Matthew Rigby Photography
