A Callejoneada Proposal in Atlanta with Paper Mâché Puppets and a Drink Donkey
India (she/her) and Alana (they/them) met at a gay wedding after hearing so much about each other through mutual friends. Alana arrived late, not expecting much beyond another social gathering. Instead, they met the love of her life. Hours of conversation turned into a 10-hour FaceTime first date, long-distance flights, and eventually a first kiss in San Francisco that made everything feel certain. One year later, in their 1930s cottage home in Atlanta, they’re celebrating their engagement and dreaming up a wedding in Mexico.
Their proposal was just as layered as their love story. What began as a plan for a waterfall proposal in Tennessee shifted into something even more personal closer to home: along Atlanta’s Beltline, surrounded by community, with music, noisemakers, papier-mâché puppets, and a Callejoneada inspired by India’s hometown in Mexico. There was a fake proposal, a hidden photographer in the bushes, a real proposal on a bridge, and one final surprise saved for the end of the night: they had secretly eloped six months earlier.
How did you two meet?
Alana: We met at a gay wedding! I was so late arriving, and both of us had heard so much about each other through the couple who were getting married. I arrived late and not ready for social interaction, let alone meeting the love of my life.
India greeted me with so much enthusiasm, and I was in awe of how incredibly beautiful and effervescent she was. We talked for hours, and the next day she teased me about my suit, as I could tell she wasn’t as smitten yet. She touched my shoulder to say something about my suit, and my eyes traced her hand. Then I looked up and locked eyes with her. In that instant our worlds shifted, electricity crackled, and our souls had to be fused together.
It didn’t take long after that for us to begin spending hours on the phone talking (we didn’t live in the same state). Our first date was 10 hours via FaceTime, where we cooked the same meal together in different locations and mixed up the same cocktail. We even ate together over FaceTime. We talked and talked.
About seven months after the first spark, we finally decided we needed to figure out if this was a handshake and a beautiful friendship, or if this was the rest of our lives. So I flew to San Francisco for 24 hours, and from our first kiss we knew it was forever.
We just had our one-year anniversary in our 1930s cottage home in Atlanta and can’t wait to have our wedding in Mexico!
What made the Beltline feel like the perfect place to propose?
Well, I had originally planned to propose to India in Tennessee at my favorite waterfall, as we love the outdoors. Plans had been moving along well (booked an Airbnb), but our photographer let me know that the road to the waterfall was closed!
We picked a secondary location that my photographer and I were excited about, but about a week out we found out that I was going to have my egg retrieval. We were in the middle of doing IVF – yes, we know we aren’t married yet, but we aren’t getting any younger, so putting those eggs on ice! We had to pivot and plan to do a local proposal instead.
Which turned out to be a lot easier, and it made it easier to incorporate all the things that India loves, like the Beltline, which she loves since it connects all her favorite spaces with a pedestrian and bike-friendly path across the city. This also meant we could incorporate a callejoneada, which is something we have been dreaming about having for a long time!
The party venue was easy because our friends Devin and Marika let us use their backyard, which just represented our community.
Okay, we need the full proposal story. How did it all unfold?
Alana: The best part about all of this is India knew about it! She said we could tell our friends it was a surprise wedding, but at the last minute she changed her mind! So she pretended not to know.
Meanwhile, I scrambled to get all the items ready: the savory s’mores, the cups, the coolers, the table decor, the batch cocktails and mocktails, including our custom wine glasses from Welltold Design. I was nervous the whole day!
I took India out for oysters ’cause we have had some incredible dates that included oysters, then we went to the Beltline near Lee + White, near our rock climbing gym. I offered to get India ice cream. She didn’t want any! Full blown panic.
We started to walk back home, and I was going to do a fake proposal. Our photographer, Kate Okenatez-Mahoney of Soul & Sky Weddings, jumped out of the bushes, and I fake proposed to India with a fake ring and all! We did a mini photoshoot (India didn’t know about that).
We continued to walk back – I didn’t account for the dirt path and India wearing heels – she protested the entire way, but we finally made it to the actual proposal.
We approached the bridge, and I was concerned that no one was actually there. I had all our guests jump out in surprise as I dropped to one knee. However, no one jumped out! I said the secret key word to get everyone to step out of hiding and use the noisemakers, and I was going to propose in Spanish in front of everyone. Alas, no one heard me until I started shouting, “you said yes?! Yes! Yes!”
Then everyone jumped out, and we had a callejoneada which is a traditional street parade from India’s hometown in Mexico. It included papier-mâché puppets I made, music, noisemakers, and even a drink donkey which is a cooler dressed as a donkey!
We paraded down the Beltline to our neighbor’s house and continued the celebration in their backyard. When we were giving our toast of gratitude, we surprised our guests that we had eloped 6 months prior! Plot twist!
What were you both feeling in the moment you got engaged?
India: Finally! So, so happy!
Alana: I was just so excited to start this new chapter with the woman of my dreams! I was genuinely looking forward to seeing India’s face and saying, ‘te casarías conmigo mi amor?’
Did you shop for your rings together?
Yes. We went to Worthmore Jewelers near Piedmont Park. They were fantastic, and we loved doing it together.
We carried the rings in our ring box by RWA Resin Wood Art, which made the whole experience feel even more special.
Have there been any challenges since getting engaged?
We had to navigate telling Alana’s parents. We realized that as we have faced all things: with a lot of grace and kindness. Truth.
We had a lot of conversations and showered each other with as much love as we have for one another.
How’s wedding planning feeling for you both right now?
Wedding planning has been hard. Particularly because we are legally married, but we want a celebration in Mexico. Things are so expensive, and it’s increasingly more difficult to make decisions about, “Do we spend money on a wedding or on building a family?”
The best resource has been Pinterest for inspiration boards, and our community.
We’re organizing everything through Pinterest, Excel sheets for budgeting, and lots of communication. We also set up a joint email so we both have access to all the same information. Highly recommend this!
Why did it feel important to have your engagement photographed?
Alana: Capturing our joy and our love was super important to me. I wanted something that we could have to look back on to capture one of the best days of our lives.
I wanted to choose a photographer who understood how important it is to be mindful of our surroundings and who we are as an LGBTQ couple. Someone who could capture our location really well.
I knew Kate Okenatez-Mahoney of Soul & Sky Weddings through work. I loved how stunning her photography is, with the sweeping landscapes and her storytelling. I wanted to bring that to our story.
Captured by Kate Okenatez-Mahoney of Soul & Sky Weddings
Engagement Rings Worthmore Jewelers
Rental Welltold Design
Ring Box RWA Resin Wood Art
