I met Korrigan back in 2021. We were two ambitious creatives clocking hours at a top wedding studio in Chicago—just a couple of scrappy underdogs in the luxury wedding game, shooting our shot (and other people’s weddings) weekend after weekend. It wasn’t just a job—it was a mission. And we treated it like the playoffs every time. Because even if it’s just another Saturday for us, it’s someone else’s forever.

So when Korrigan asked me to help coordinate his proposal to Raegan—his long-time girlfriend and scene partner in life—I already knew this was going to be one for the books.

The setup? A classic bait-and-switch at Lincoln Park Zoo. The ruse: Raegan was meeting out-of-town friends for a casual hang. Only, the friends were stationed just off the main drag at the nearby pond, and we were already in full-blown special ops mode.

Raegan laughs. "Don’t do it." "This isn’t real, right?" But then—it is. Korrigan drops to one knee. And it’s no longer pretend. The joking stops. The lens clicks. Jeremy nails the shot. And then comes the response: “I mean, yes, obviously!”

We had a four-person team in position. Cameras stashed in the brush. Korrigan’s location pinged in real-time. Nick Dov—our trusted lookout—was posted up on the bridge with a long lens, signaling their approach. Eva and I were buried in greenery like wildlife documentarians. We looked like we were about to capture a rare bird migration, but nah—we were here for something rarer: a clean proposal moment in a public park without some jogger walking through the shot.

Now here’s the twist: as they hit the apex point, a seemingly random photographer stops them. Casual, non-threatening, just a guy with a camera. But this wasn’t just some guy. It was Jeremy Glickstein—one of the best wedding shooters in the city and our secret weapon. See, Raegan knows me and Eva too well. If she spotted us too early, game over. But Jeremy? Completely off her radar. The ultimate undercover boss.

As fate would have it, Korrigan couldn’t resist commenting on Jeremy’s rig. You know how fishermen can spot each other by the gear? Same goes for camera nerds. They start geeking out over Sony versus Canon bodies, prime versus variable lenses, and Raegan doesn’t think twice—it’s just another one of those conversations Korrigan always gets into. (The man has a Premiere Pro tattoo, for God’s sake.)

Then Jeremy makes a pitch. Says he’s testing light for a shoot later and needs a stand-in couple. Would they mind helping out real quick?

Sounds innocent. Sounds familiar. Sounds like something Korrigan would drag Raegan into on any given Tuesday.

They agree. Jeremy hands Korrigan a prop ring box. The moment’s starting to crystallize.

Raegan laughs. "Don’t do it." "This isn’t real, right?"

But then—it is.

Korrigan drops to one knee. And it’s no longer pretend. The joking stops. The lens clicks. Jeremy nails the shot.

Raegan’s jaw hits the floor.

And then comes the response: “I mean, yes, obviously!”

Korrigan’s not just a wedding guy. He’s her wedding guy. The ultimate plus-one, now promoted to lifetime partner.