Blended Family Proposal in the Mexican Jungle
Alissa + Steve
“This was a true fairytale proposal! There was absolutely nothing I would change. I forever get to spend my life as the princess I’d always dreamt of because I have the perfect man by my side. And my children have someone who I’m proud to have raise them as his own.” – Alissa
Alissa: “Every girl dreams of being a princess. Every girl wants a lifetime filled with love, bliss, and pure happiness. There was a time when I thought I had it all. I was blessed with love everywhere I turned. I had a loving husband and three healthy beautiful children. This all came to an end when I suddenly lost my husband. My children lost their father. Just 30 years old and here I stand…a widow and single mother. I was devastated and hopeless, truly believing I’d never love again.”
“Do you believe in miracles and fate? I certainly do. Just when I thought I’d be alone forever, I met Steve. He would forever change not only my life, but my children’s as well.”
“Here we are over 3 1/2 years later and we’re still on our first date!”
“Recently I’ve been thinking about marriage and I was starting to feel like Steve wasn’t ever going to propose. But then on May 7th, I was blessed with the most beautiful surprise ever. May 7 2021 will forever be the most extraordinary and most memorable day of my entire life.”
Mexico Cenote Proposal
Steve: Mexico will always have a special place in our hearts, so when we were planning our vacation this year, it seemed only natural that this proposal HAD to happen here. That’s when I started to do some research and began looking for romantic proposals. I knew the beach was always a possibility but Alissa is a little more unique than that.”
“Looking through Del Sol’s photographs, I discovered the cenote proposal. It was as if the pictures were screaming to me “DO THIS!!!” I knew it almost instantly that this was where the moment was going to occur.” – Steve
Steve: “Last year Alissa was mentioning to me that she wanted to find a shaman in the United States. When I saw I could incorporate a Mayan ceremony with a shaman into the proposal, it was a no-brainer…and it was amazing. It also gave me the opportunity to tell Alissa that I had booked a shaman ceremony and the “tour guide”, who was going to take pictures and try to sell us a package at the end.
“I really loved that the ceremony was designed to essentially cleanse any unhealthy energy we had around us and really gives us a new beginning in this chapter of our lives.” – Steve
Alissa: “We arrived at a beautiful cenote. Steve had previously told me that we were going to have a shaman ceremony, something I’ve always wanted to do as well. I am a very spiritual and unique person. I’ve researched how a shaman could benefit all areas of my life. The ceremony took place in this beautiful cave with candles and rose petals. It took my breath away.”
A Surprise Proposal
Alissa: “After the most beautiful ceremony and spiritual cleansing, we walked to another incredible area where the proposal took place. I was completely clueless about what was about to happen.”
“Polly had been translating the shaman’s Mayan words and she placed us in front of the water facing each other. She said we were supposed to think of something that we wanted to say to each other. I was so nervous that I said I “no” when asked if I had anything to say. Steve’s reply was indeed a little different.” – Alissa
“This was the moment he said he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He dropped to one knee. That was the first moment I realized what was happening. All of the sudden, I was nervous. I was sweating. I was shaking. I felt like I was in another reality! I wanted to climb to the top of the mountain and scream “YES!!” And it was the easiest yes of my life!” – Alissa
Steve: “I’ve always been very calm under pressure (I work in a prison) but when I started talking I got so nervous I was shaking. I actually tried to put the ring on the wrong hand! But even with the nerves and mistakes, I felt that everything was perfect in my world at that moment. It was so hot and we were sweating, but I didn’t feel any of it when I went down on one knee. I felt joy like I’ve never felt.”
“When I stood up and wrapped my arms around Alissa, everything felt different. She was no longer my girlfriend. She was my fiancé! I felt like I just won the lottery. Even typing this now gives me chills!” – Steve
A Blended Family Proposal
Alyssa: “It didn’t stop there. Steve made a video of him also proposing to my children and asking if he could marry their mom! I couldn’t stop crying happy tears. How did I get so lucky?”
Steve: “We didn’t take Alissa’s two youngest children to Mexico because it was going to be really difficult with the logistics of it all. Alissa was married to their father who suddenly passed away while the girls were very young. So I’ve been the father figure for them for most of their lives.”
“I had to find a way to include Alissa’s children in the proposal. A few days before our trip, I took the girls to the beach near my house in NJ with my daughter. I’d purchased little necklaces for each of them and had my daughter be my photographer. I got down on one knee and asked them if it would be OK if I married their mommy. I asked if they wanted all of the children to be real brothers and sisters.” – Steve
Steve: “It was cute because I don’t think they fully understood what was happening. Her youngest started saying “Yes!” and my daughter caught the moment she threw her arms up in excitement. I set the pictures to music about being there for the children.”
“When Alissa realized how I actually secretly proposed to the girls, she lost it. She was overwhelmed. I could barely keep myself composed when she was crying.” – Steve
“When Alissa broke down and cried while watching the video I made with the girls, I could feel the pure happiness she was feeling.”
Planning a Proposal in Mexico
Alissa: “Steve and Polly filled me in on the whole thing. When we first arrived, we were greeted by our “tour guide” Polly. She had the outfit on and everything. She told me she was just going to take a few pictures. I didn’t think anything of it. Polly told me that she and Steve had been talking for months and worked out every detail even down to a phrase when Steve would know was the perfect time! She also told me that she wasn’t a tour guide and was in fact a photographer Steve hired to capture this day. Polly, you captured all of our love from behind your lens. Thank you.”
“I was shocked that Steve and Polly created all of this just for me! I had my real life princess moment and I’ll have pictures to keep looking at, reliving that day.” – Alissa
Steve: “I worked really hard to make this happen so I didn’t tell anyone else. It completely eliminated anyone slipping and saying something. Additionally, I think it added more enjoyment for everyone because it was completely unexpected.”
“The only people I told about the proposal were the children. I’ve always been honest about everything with them so it was extremely important that the children were happy about us becoming a family.” – Steve
Proposal Ideas in Mexico
Steve: “My advice for anyone thinking of doing something like this would be to think about what is important to you as a couple. Mexico has so much beauty that there are literally hundreds of different ways to create your unique proposal. Are you both adrenaline seekers? Propose on a speedboat or while swimming with sharks. Romantic? The beaches are beautiful. The cenotes are extremely unique. You can use Mayan ruins. You can use open fields. Just find what speaks to you.”
“I don’t even know exactly how I found Del Sol Photography. But I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. I believe I found you because I was supposed to find you.” – Steve
“It was a little scary creating something like this while in a whole different county. And the cost was a little more than other things I looked at. So I was admittedly hesitant. When I first talked to Matt, he spoke with such passion about what he does. He described the cenotes so vividly that I could literally see them in my head. He took any worries completely away.”
“I decided on Polly as our photographer and again, it happened for a reason. She and I worked together to create something I couldn’t have even imagined. She helped come up with everything from pretending to be a tour guide, to coming up with a phrase for me to know that “this is the moment” (that was our phrase!) when we were in the perfect spot. Polly completely blew me away. She was the sweetest person. I literally felt like we were old friends. I can’t say enough nice things about her! We are considering a destination wedding and I will be using Polly if there’s any chance she’s available.”
A Fairytale Proposal
Alissa: “Polly, thank you so much. You have no idea how happy I am and how grateful I am for what you helped create. I still feel like I need to be pinched because I wonder if I’m still dreaming!”
“This was a true fairytale proposal! There was absolutely nothing I would change. I forever get to spend my life as the princess I’d always dreamt of because I have the perfect man by my side. And my children have someone who I’m proud to have raise them as his own.”
Steve: “Trust the people at Del Sol. Polly handled my proposal as if she was preparing it for herself. She met and exceeded all of my expectations. Keep in mind that this is what they do. They are the experts. They know all of the areas. If you want a romantic setting, Polly knows exactly where and when the most beautiful shots are going to be. She knows which beaches have the best backdrops. She knows exactly how to take what you envision as your perfect day and multiply that times ten.”
“You pay for what you get. I saw less expensive photographers for sure. But what I got for what I paid was invaluable and worth triple what it cost. Do it. You will not regret it.” – Steve
