Josh and I took a short weekend trip up to Maranatha Bible & Missionary Conference up near Muskegon, Michigan with our best friends Brad and Lauren. Maranatha is a magical place right on the water where Josh and Brad both worked over the summer during our college years. I asked Josh how he would describe it… he said “amazing.” It really is. Beautiful, peaceful, relaxing, and everything in between. To make it even better, Maranatha just happens to be where Brad and Lauren met.

Josh turns twenty-six today, so what better way to spend your birthday weekend than at one of your favorite places with some of your favorite people? Except, that was just the story we told Lauren… that wasn’t the real reason for the trip. Brad had other big plans for the weekend.

We’d all been scheming for months. Brad had picked out the perfect ring, the chosen perfect spot, crafted the perfect plan for a proposal to remember. And if everything went as planned, Lauren would have absolutely no idea what was coming. I’ve never lied to a friend as much as I’ve lied to Lauren over the past several weeks… hopefully she’s forgiven me by now 😉

“Yes, it would be PERFECT if he proposed at Maranatha… but you know it just isn’t the right time yet. You guys have talked about this.”

“Just give him some time. Wishing for it and thinking about it all the time will just lead to disappointment.”

“We are SO happy you two were able to come with us to Michigan to celebrate Josh’s birthday!”

Little did she know.

OK, enough talk. Brad pulled off the most epic beach proposal ever complete with a message in a bottle, a ring in a buried treasure chest, and a photographer (yours truly) army crawling across the top of a sand dune to capture it all. I’m sure you want to SEE it, right?!? Keep scrolling, and enjoy this magical sunrise proposal, paired with a few other amazing memories from our trip. 🙂

 Ice cream in November? Why not?!?

 This gorgeous Lake Michigan sunset <3

 And now the proposal…. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 !!!!!!

 She said… YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love this couple so much and now they are getting MARRIED!!!!!!!! Congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. McPherson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 Also, can we give Brad some credit with that RING???? Love love love. It’s perfect.