A man and woman from Philadelphia have come forward as the couple featured in a viral photo captured by a San Diego-area photographer.
On Jan. 31, Dan McGeorge captured a stunning photo of the iconic Hotel Del Coronado and a sky flushed with pink hues and a rainbow to match. Upon closer inspection of the photo revealed another Kodak moment – a proposal.
Since McGeorge’s discovery of the couple in the photo, he set up an online campaign to find them. The photo was shared by thousands on social media and reported on news outlets across the country.
On the eve of Valentine’s Day, Robert Treml of Philadelphia received a phone call from his brother in St. Louis.
“He’s like, ‘I just saw a link online and there is a photographer in San Diego who actually captured your proposal at the exact moment and it’s under a rainbow, and he’s looking for you,” Treml said.
Treml said it was him and his now soon-to-be-wife, Meghan Peart, featured in McGeorge’s picture. He recalled the evening clearly, knowing he wanted to propose to her at the beach just outside Hotel Del.
“I grabbed her hands and we did the proposal right there. And as we were that very special moment together, that rainbow formed above us. It was such a magical moment for us,” Treml said.
Treml contacted his area news stations who then contacted McGeorge. After McGeorge and the couple spoke over the phone, photographs were exchanged, and both parties were ecstatic.
All three of them also realized they had actually met that evening. Shortly after Treml asked Peart to marry him, the couple looked for someone to take their photos as a newly engaged couple.
“We went up to [McGeorge] and we asked him if he wouldn’t mind taking a few pictures and he was very nice and very helpful,” Peart said.
Meantime, McGeorge has created a memento for the couple. He printed the photo on canvas and framed it himself. He plans to send it to them soon.
As for wedding plans, the couple hopes to tie the knot by Fall of this year. San Diego, they said, is an option for a destination wedding.
McGeorge also said he will be in the East Coast for his son’s wedding in April, and Treml and Peart have invited him and his family over for dinner.
A version of this story was originally published by KTLA’s sister station KSWB and distributed by Tribune Broadcasting.