A Downtown St. Petersburg Scavenger Hunt Proposal | BJ + Madison
Downtown St. Petersburg provided a beautiful canvas for BJ and Madison’s surprise proposal. It was a thoughtfully orchestrated morning of personal landmarks, subtle clues, and the people who shaped their story.
Madison believed she was simply heading to a 10 a.m. brunch at Juno & the Peacock. Instead, the morning unfolded a carefully designed journey. BJ orchestrated a scavenger hunt path, built from handwritten notes and small instructions leading her through a city that already held so much meaning.
The first surprise arrived at Juno & the Peacock, where Rae, her mom, and Marley, her sister, were waiting to surprise her. Madison had no idea any of them would be there.
Their note led her to Ceviche, a place where their love story began. There, Jess, her childhood best friend from Ohio, was also waiting to surprise her. She handed her a note along with a ticket to the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg and a map directing her to the sculpture garden.
As Madison followed the map, the morning’s carefully crafted sequence led her to the sculpture garden, inside the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg.
When Madison entered the garden, BJ was there waiting. They hugged, laughed, and in that moment everything slowed down. BJ then got down on one knee and asked her to marry him.
After the proposal, museum staff invited them to a private meeting with a featured artist and a glass of champagne, offering a quiet pause in the whirlwind.
BJ and Madison arrived at Birch & Vine, where family and friends were waiting in a private room, glasses raised in celebration as they entered.
Afterward, we made our way across the street to Straub Park for group portraits with family and friends. We then finished the morning with one final image in front of Juno & the Peacock, bringing the entire journey full circle.
Congratulations to BJ and Madison. We were privileged to be part of your story.
Lead Photographer | Jeff Mitchell
