When Ryan Magee decided to pull off the ultimate proposal to his girlfriend of three and a half years, Victoria Chau, he enlisted help from unlikely accomplices: two people he had never met before, photographer Randi Baird and her husband, Philippe Jordi.

The plan was simple. On the couple’s first vacation together to Martha’s Vineyard this past August, Ryan would reserve a catboat charter one evening to see the Island from a different view. Then, while on the boat, he would propose to Victoria. Ryan wanted to make sure the proposal was captured, so he booked Baird beforehand and her husband joined the couple on the sail as well to not raise any suspicions.

On a calm night, they boarded the beautifully restored 1927 Cape Cod Catboat Tigress with Captain Kurt Peterson, his crew, and another couple – or so Victoria thought. “Philippe really played the position of ‘guest’ by cracking open a beer right as he got on the boat!” said Ryan. “Victoria was definitely fooled.

“The plan was to get Victoria up to the front of the boat towards the sail…luckily, it went off without a hitch,” said Ryan, who got down on one knee and asked her to be his forever teammate while Baird photographed the moment.

The couple is enjoying engaged life in Hoboken, New Jersey, where they live, and are beginning to plan their future wedding.