Robert & Ryann // Surprise proposal photography Venice

Robert & Ryann (affectionately and aptly named R&R) met in Baltimore, Maryland in 2010. The Florida natives both attended Florida State University, and shared an overlapping circle of friends, but oddly enough never crossed paths before that time. From that moment on they maintained an amazing friendship, but it wasn’t until a random encounter at a friend’s housewarming in 2015 that the two realized that they shared a connection and chemistry that transcended friendship, and needed to be explored. Needless to say…the rest is history.

The Future Groom:

“Every time I think about the proposal, I’m just in awe. It was perfect!

As Ryann approached her 35th birthday (November 7), she humbly mentioned how dope it would be to celebrate her special day in Italy. Traveling to Italy was a bucket list item for the both of us, so when she mentioned it for her birthday I immediately envisioned augmenting the trip with a destination proposal. Ryann is one of the most unselfish and considerate people that I have ever met, so I was determined to not only make sure we spent her birthday Italy, but more importantly that I propose to the woman that God confirmed was for me!

The next question was how can I plan and execute a proposal in Italy, living in Silver Spring, MD? Enter Serena…she was everything! For the proposal, I needed someone local in Venice that could envision, love, and take pride in my canvas. She did more than I could have ever imagined. After a few FaceTime sessions, emails, and WhatsApp chats, the plan was in place!

Day of the proposal:

The morning of the proposal, I told Ryann that we were deviating from our original itinerary, and going to see an Opera instead. To say she was excited would be an understatement! Then I proceed to escort her upstairs in the Venice apartment and show her a new gown that I purchased for her (with the enlisted help of a few friends and family members of course), some accessories, and a pair of shoes (nicely stolen from her massive shoe collection) that she could wear for the evening. Ryann immediately fell in love with both the idea of attending an Opera, and my attempt to put together a jazzy ensemble for her.

The plan was to arrive at the proposal location (San Giorgio) at sunset. To ensure that we made it there on time, we left the apartment with more than enough time to make it to San Giorgio before nightfall. However anyone who has ever traveled to Venice knows that getting lost is inevitable, and as luck would have it, we got lost on the way to the “Opera”. At this point it’s freezing outside, the sun is beginning to set, I’m beginning to panic and Ryann is beginning to get…well you know! Luckily, before matters got out of hand, Serena sent me a text instructing me to get off at the nearest Vaporetto stop, and wait for a private water taxi to come pick us up (thank you Jesus)!

When we arrived at San Giorgio we encountered what appeared to be a private photo and video shoot for a local musician, but in actuality it was my canvas. After a few minutes of banter and staged selfies I finally got down on one knee and asked Ryann to marry me.

We are three days in and have yet to celebrate the real reason why we are in Italy, her Birthday!

This journey with Ryann has taught me that you should never give up on true love. I knew that one day God would provide me what I consider to be life’s greatest blessing… having a life partner and soulmate. And my blessing appeared when He placed Ryann in my life. I will forever be thankful and will spend the rest of my life doing whatever it takes to show Him just how grateful I am for her.”

Musician and Singer: Sergio Bonitti

Videomaker: Tommaso Paitowsky

See also the video!