Erik & Sherrie’s Cessna “Emergency Landing” Airport Runway Proposal

I think Erik wins the award for the most meticulously-planned and perfectly-executed proposal we’ve ever seen. There were just so many moving pieces: the friends who brought Sherrie along for the airplane ride, the airport where they landed, Sherrie’s boss who was in on the plan all along, and even yours truly, the photographers. Erik quietly worked it all out, rehearsing the flight path a few times and juggling multiple unplanned schedule changes, and the result was the sweetest and most perfect proposal. To be honest, we really didn’t know what to expect out of an “emergency landing” airport runway proposal, but Erik knocked this one out of the park!

We met up with Erik early in the morning at the Sonoma Skypark, where he had arrived hours earlier to set up. Off in the corner of the airstrip, just off the taxiway, Erik had set up a table with roses, petals, candles, a “will you marry me” sign, and the ring… all items he had hidden in his trunk the night before before “leaving early for work.” (Well, except the ring. I’m sure he had that one safely stored away!) Meanwhile, Sherrie was up in a Cessna thinking she was flying to Sacramento for the work trip that her boss had sent her on, when “engine trouble” caused the friend who was piloting the plane to make an “emergency landing” at the nearest airport — conveniently, the one Erik was waiting at.

After safely touching down, they all exited the plane, and that’s when Sherrie saw Erik. You can see the rest in the photos below, and in case you were wondering… she said yes!