Some moments feel carefully planned.
Others don’t go as planned at all and somehow turn out even better.

Randy and Michelle’s proposal at the Colosseum was exactly that kind of moment.

It was sunset.
One of those rare Roman sunsets where the light feels unreal, warm and soft at the same time. Honestly, it might have been the most beautiful sunset of the year. Rome was doing what Rome does best, without even trying.

The plan… and the nerves

The plan was simple.

Randy was supposed to stop near the fountain inside the Domus Aurea park. A quiet spot, away from the road, with a perfect view and enough space to breathe.

But when he arrived, I immediately noticed how nervous he was.

That kind of nervousness you can’t hide. The hands, the pace, the way your mind races faster than your body. And when emotions take over, plans tend to disappear.

Instead of stopping near the fountain, Randy walked past it.
He stopped right on the road, didn’t look for me, didn’t wait for a signal and suddenly he was on one knee.

Thinking fast and running faster

The moment he knelt down, I realized what was happening.

And I ran.

About 20 meters, straight uphill, without thinking about composition or settings. There was no time to reposition anyone, no time to fix anything. The only thing that mattered was being there and not missing the moment.

And somehow, everything aligned.

Michelle turned around, completely surprised. Emotional, shocked, smiling and tearing up all at once. The street, the cars, the noise everything disappeared. In front of me there were just two people, wrapped in an incredible, surreal light.

When the unexpected becomes perfect

Despite the confusion, or maybe because of it, the photos turned out beautiful.

The light was insane. Warm, soft, almost unreal. The Colosseum in the background felt timeless. And Randy and Michelle, they looked incredible. Natural, emotional, completely present.

Randy’s hands were slightly shaking.
Michelle couldn’t stop smiling.
Nothing felt staged. Nothing felt forced.

And that’s exactly why those images feel so powerful.

Why moments like this matter

Proposals are never truly perfect.
And they shouldn’t be.

They are made of nerves, quick decisions, unexpected moves and raw emotion. My job is to adapt instantly, stay calm, and make sure that no matter what happens, the story is captured honestly.

That evening, during one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen in Rome, Randy and Michelle experienced something they’ll remember forever. And I had the privilege of documenting it exactly as it happened: real, intense, and unforgettable.

Captured by Fabrizio De Stefano – Photographer in Rome