An Italian tourist was oblivious to the lashing rain when her boyfriend popped the question on a Harris beach.
Ivana Cipollepta’s outstanding reaction to the surprise proposal was captured by island photographer, Sandie Maciver.
Confusion turned into shock then overwhelming excitement joy was written all over her face as she slowly realised when was happening.
Glancing back to see what was keeping her partner, Damian Lewis, she was puzzled to see him kneeling in the wet sand. Then the penny dropped.
The couple from Birkenhead near Liverpool had arranged a Hebridean holiday.
Damian colluded with Sandie Maciver to set up a photoshoot on Scarista beach without Ivana knowing.
Their cover story was to pretend Sandie was taking snaps of random visitors enjoying the islands for a tourism marketing campaign.
But the weather closed in nearly scuppering the carefully orchestrated plan.
Sandie Maciver was in tears with the emotion of the occasion.
She explained: “They are a really lovely couple.
“But it was awful torrential rain. So I pretended the tourist board wanted pictures of people in all weathers.
“I approached them both and said hello and asked if I could take photos of them walking.”
Ivana was in shock when the proposal unfolded.
Sandie said: “Damian was on one knee and asked her “will you marry me?”
“She was so taken aback she went to run away but then came back.
“Ivana was so happy. Then four other people came up the beach and started clapping.”
Photographer captures stunned look on woman’s face as boyfriend makes surprise beach proposal
21 June 2021
