A Romantic Lake Como Proposal: An Intentional Love Story

Jessica and Cameron’s story began on Earth Day 2023 at a Baltimore community clean-up, where Jessica felt an instant connection and struck up a conversation while they were both on-site for work. Though Cameron remained focused on the event, they exchanged numbers by the end of the day, sparking a three-year journey of intentional love. […] The post A Romantic Lake Como Proposal: An Intentional Love Story appeared first on Black Bride.

May 29, 2026 - 03:51

A Romantic Lake Como Proposal: An Intentional Love Story

Jessica and Cameron’s story began on Earth Day 2023 at a Baltimore community clean-up, where Jessica felt an instant connection and struck up a conversation while they were both on-site for work. Though Cameron remained focused on the event, they exchanged numbers by the end of the day, sparking a three-year journey of intentional love. Today, they continue to celebrate Earth Day as their anniversary, honoring the moment their shared commitment to service turned into a lasting partnership.

Cameron asked Jessica for her hand in marriage at the beautiful Lake Como in Italy. Fall in love with their romantic proposal, captured by Andrea Pinacci.

Bride: Jessica Reyes, 32

Groom: Cameron Smith, 30

Place of Residence: Washington, DC

Engagement Shoot Location: Lake Como, Italy

For the groom: Walk us through the proposal day. What was the inspiration behind the location and timing, and how did you manage to keep the surprise a secret (or did she suspect something)?

The day of the proposal was honestly stressful because the weather in Lake Como kept changing, and I had a very small window to decide if I was going to move forward or postpone everything until the next day. Once I decided to take the risk and go with the original plan, I had to immediately switch into acting completely normal so Jessica wouldn’t suspect anything. She notices every detail, so I made it seem like proposing wasn’t even on my mind.

I told her we were just going to dinner, arranged the transportation myself so she wouldn’t try to plan anything, and did everything I could to keep the surprise intact. The funniest part is she was actually a little sad earlier that day because she thought she was leaving Lake Como without a ring, which made me realize she truly didn’t know what was about to happen. I had a driver take us up to a castle where she thought we had dinner reservations, but once we walked up and she saw the full proposal setup overlooking Lake Como, she was completely blown away.

I chose Lake Como because it always felt like one of the most romantic places in the world. The scenery, the water, the calmness, the culture — everything about it felt timeless and intentional.

For the bride: When the question was finally asked, what was the first thing that went through your mind?

I immediately felt overwhelmed with joy and honestly really emotional because he completely exceeded any expectations I could have imagined. I’m definitely the more extra one in our relationship, so seeing him put that much intention into every detail meant everything to me. He’s such a simple, grounded guy, which made it even more special that he took the time to truly learn what I wanted and create my dream proposal.

I never imagined I would get engaged in a place as romantic and breathtaking as Lake Como. In that moment, I just felt so loved, seen, and certain that I was saying yes to my forever person.

What are you looking forward to the most on your wedding day?

We’re looking forward to having a moment that fully reflects us and the kind of love we’ve built together. Our relationship has felt intentional and certain from the very beginning, so being able to celebrate that surrounded by the people who watched our story unfold feels really meaningful. More than anything, we’re excited to step into this next chapter as one, continuing to choose each other the same way we have since the very beginning.