Proposal in Acadia National Park - Dorr Mountain
Chris proposes to Brooke on a mountaintop in Acadia National Park
It was a sunny and humid day at the end of July when I made my way to the top of Dorr Mountain, part of the Acadia National Park trail system. Located in Otter Creek, the trail head is just a short ride outside of Bar Harbor. I opted to take my favorite trail on the way up; The Ladder Trail. Let me tell you, if you live for a strenuous hike, you’ll love this mountain.
The Ladder Trail lives up to its name, too. As I ascended the steep stone steps rising up along the mountain face (which seem like they will never end), iron rung ladders and plenty of rock scrambling, I was treated to beautiful views of Frenchmen’s Bay and the Schoodic Peninsula. This trip up took me approximately one hour and ten minutes. The summit is beautiful and calming; a welcome feeling after such a hard hike to get there.
Now you’re probably wondering why I went to Dorr Mountain? Well, that story starts a few days earlier.
Chris called me after searching for a photographer who was willing to go that extra mile to make his proposal to Brooke a magical and memorable Maine moment. They planned to arrive in Maine that weekend, and he needed to keep this a surprise. Of course, I was more than ready to help. We started by mulling over the variety of my favorite Maine locations for proposals and portraits. In case you didn’t know, I have a lot of them and each one is unique in it’s own special way. You won’t typically find me suggesting a location that we’ve all seen photographed before. Many of my spots take a bit of travel, and maybe even some foot work to access. But that’s Maine in a nutshell, am I right?
Once we selected Dorr Mountain for its view, the unique trail experience, and proximity to Bar Harbor, we were ready to start planning. First up, we were going to need champagne. I asked Chris for he and Brooke’s favorite bottle, and he said Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label would do the trick. Surprisingly, this was a tricky one to find locally, but my partner eventually stumbled upon it at one of our local liquor shops. With the champagne in the bag, we were ready to plan out the timeline of events, and how we were going to make this proposal go off as a surprise, and without any hitch.
Before the big day, I sent Chris the usual prep sheet that covered all of the details including a map of the trail, instructions on meeting, and how we were going to get them in front of my camera without making Brooke suspicious.
Chris prepares to propose to Brooke on Dorr Mountain in Acadia National Park
With the champagne wrapped in ice packs, crystal champagne flutes protected in a beach towel (classy, I know), lots of water, and my camera, I made my way up the mountain. I wanted to get there an hour ahead of them so I had time to compose myself, and determine the exact spot we were going to do this thing. Along the way Chris was texting me updates on their location, and what they were wearing.
As they arrived at the summit I made sure my camera was ready, and got into position. Our plan went off without a single suspicion! Brooke was completely surprised when Chris dropped to his knee, Frenchmen’s Bay and Cadillac Mountain in the background, and asked Brooke to be his person. Even I had tears in my eyes as she shouted “Yes, Yes, YES!”. With the dust of the moment settled, I dug out the champagne and let them have a few moments alone to take in the moment.
The best part of my day was the hike back down where I got to know Chris and Brooke a bit. They’re such a wonderful couple, with a lot of cool experiences to share. They even got to try their first wild Maine blueberries, and view Bar Harbor from a slightly different angle.
This day was so magical, and I had the best time helping make Chris’ dream proposal come true.
Brooke and Chris hike along the Dorr Mountain summit in Acadia National Park after Chris proposed.
Here’s to a very happy marriage, and a lifetime of laughter together.
Your Photographer,
Shaun Crockett - The Bearded Mainer
**Want to see more photos from their proposal and hike? Scroll down and enjoy the gallery below.
