For anyone whose never been to The Montford rooftop bar, allow me to describe it. Long range mountain views high above downtown Asheville perfect for watching the sunsets and a sleek interior with at least half of the space having large nearly seamless windows allowing you to enjoy these views from the comfort of inside on a cold or windy day. On top of this the food is delicious and the staff is super helpful and accommodating which you will soon hear why!
Even though we thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere and space, our journey to The Montford on was for more than to to just try great food, relax with a drink, and take in the view (even though we did all of those). This day was about Jake and Taylor! Jake contacted a few weeks prior about capturing his surprise proposal to his now fiance Taylor! That first conversation probably couldn’t have been any more inconvenient for Jake as he called us right as we were taking our SUV through a car wash but thankfully, he was patient and stuck with us! We soon found out that we he and Taylor had previously visited The Montford last time they were in town and after getting to hang out there and take it all in, he knew that this was going to be the perfect spot to ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. As we developed a plan we knew there may be one particular thing to work around, crowds. After all, this time of the year was spring break for many, it’s April so the weather should be awesome (oh the irony) and it’s a Saturday in downtown Asheville at one of the coolest spots. We considered all angles of this but ultimately we all felt confident that we could make this happen. Soon after Jake gave us a shout and let us know that there had been a new development in his plan to propose. After finding out about it, many of he and Taylor’s closest friends and family wanted to be a part of this special day. Additionally, Jake had devised a plan for friends and family to also surprise Taylor in the lobby of the Hyatt Place Asheville once they came down from the bar. This was shaping up to be a special day indeed!
Fast forward a couple of weeks and we were looking at 100% chance of rain according to the forecast, just days before the proposal. We came up with a back up plan but ultimately hoped and prayed that everything would work out like originally planned. Well wouldn’t you know, it actually worked out better. The rain chances that day did go down quite a bit in the early part of the afternoon which is when everything was timed to happen, but the threat of the rain and overcast skies kept the crowds at home on this particularly cold and windy April day! Our plan to arrive early worked out great as we were able to meet Jake’s immediate family and talk to them before the big moment. This helped to coordinate a few last minute details. Since we were originally expecting a bit of crowding, we figured we would just blend right in as tourists with cameras. With the lack of crowds we had to figure out a way to blend in without seeming completely obvious. We decided to settle in outside on the patio where the wind chill had it in the 30s (brutal!) but the cover up worked out perfectly! We ordered food and drinks, got the space heater going, and we settled in like we had been there all day and just enjoying the view, not too strange since it’s common to see people with cameras just about everywhere in Asheville taking pictures of the landscapes and all the beautifully interesting things downtown has to offer. Jake and Taylor arrived soon after and we casually watched them as they enjoyed a couple of brews before heading outside to take a selfie. By this time we had been sitting outside for a solid 20 minutes with them up there and we remarked to ourselves as they enjoyed their drinks from the inside, they are probably thinking, “look at these idiots sitting in the cold.” (lol). After the selfie Jake alluded to a gift that had been wrapped and placed out on the roof top patio. He gave it to Taylor and sat beside her as she opened it. As she opened it and Jake started to speak, she started to tear up as she knew what was coming next. Jake got down on one knee and the rest is history! After placing the ring on her finger and kissing, these cuties stood and wrapped each other up in the sweetest hug! (One of our favorite parts is next!) As the wave of emotions started to hit Taylor she wiped her tears and laughed, as she realized we were a part of Jake’s plan. She smiled and laughingly said, “Oh my God I thought you guys were F$%@# tourists!” (LOL), she went on further to say exactly what we thought she would be thinking, which was “I was like look at these crazy tourists sitting out in the cold with their cameras!” It made for a great laugh as we greeted them both with hugs!
After commemorating this beautiful moment with a few more pictures we decided to head in before we all froze to death! Jake mentioned a location in the lobby that we said was really nice and they made their way down. As Taylor walked around the corner, she was surprised again by family and friends! \
In the last year we have been a part of so many proposals and each one of them has been special in their own way. From the weather, to the reaction, to the setting, each of them is unique and Jake’s proposal to Taylor will not be one we soon forget!
Big congrats to Jake and Taylor and thank you guys for allowing us to be a part of your journey!
Joe & Jenny