A magical, misty surprise engagement shoot on Calton Hill, Edinburgh

When Calum surprised Melissa with an adventure to Edinburgh, it was more amazing than she could have ever imagined. We fell in love with their atmospheric engagement shoot the minute we set eyes on these photos. And something tells us you will too!

How did you two meet?

Melissa: We were set up on a first date by two of our friends, who now call themselves Mr and Mrs Cupid. They were convinced that Calum and I would be a great match and they were right. Calum lived in Scotland at the time and came down to London to visit Mr Cupid (and go on a date with me of course), and we first met each other at a bar in Shoreditch. We instantly clicked, and I remember texting my friend 30 minutes into the date that he was the one.

Two overpriced cocktails later, we decided to continue the date at a nearby restaurant for some steak and wine, where we talked for hours about our love of food, fitness, and travel. He was (and still is) insanely charming.

Tell us a bit about the proposal – was it a surprise?

Melissa: It was very much a surprise. The entire weekend was. I was told to pack a bag and he only revealed that we were going to Edinburgh the day before we were due to leave London. On the Saturday morning, Calum said that we were going to breakfast with a view which I was really excited for (despite it being a very foggy morning). When we got to the top of the hill, he suggested we should go for a walk to admire the view. There was zero view with the fog but I obliged.

I’ll never forget the next five minutes of that walk. It was such an incredible feeling when he asked me to marry him, and I am so happy that Christine was secretly there to capture that moment in time. The fog turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it made for the most beautiful photographs that we will treasure forever.

How did you go about picking the location?

Calum: I lived in Edinburgh for four years so I had some ideas of where I wanted to go.  Calton Hill had a variety of picture perfect scenery plus a great breakfast spot in case Melissa started to get hangry.

Christine and I texted back and forth to discuss specific ideas. A lot of thought and effort went into planning the shoot.

Tell us more about your wedding day… when and where is it all happening?

Calum:  We are planning to tie the knot next year. We have spoken a lot about what we want for the big day (great food, plenty of drinks, and our friends and family) but have not made any decisions yet.

Melissa is half Korean and originally from Texas. She also spent a lot of time in New Orleans so she wants to incorporate certain cultural components. And, of course, there will be Scottish elements as well. I think what you can expect is a melting pot of traditions.

Anything else you’d like to share?

We really can’t praise Christine enough. She was such a pleasure to work with and I think the photographs speak for themselves. She’s incredibly talented.

Photographer – Christine McNally