Will & Victoria’s Mt. Tam Beautiful Sunset Surprise Proposal

Victoria was in San Francisco for a quick visit with a close friend to sight-see and hang out together. What she didn’t know: her itinerary had a secret guest star. Will quietly flew into town, teamed up with her friend, and together plotted a perfect sneaky surprise proposal during the beautiful sunset hour at Mt. Tam.

On the day-of, Will and I slipped up to the mountain ahead of them and tucked ourselves on the far side of a rolling hill. The sky was already turning that honeyed, late-October gold, and the coast was glassy and calm. As Victoria and her friend pulled into the turnout right on schedule, the two started up the trail, unwittingly walking toward the surprise of the trip.

As Victoria reached the crest, her friend ducked to the side and Will stepped out. You can see the heartbeat of disbelief in the photos as Victoria gasped, then laughed, then melted straight into Will’s arms. With the sun dropping toward the Pacific Ocean, he knelt, asked, and she said yes.

Mt. Tam did what Mt. Tam does, blessing us with a jaw-dropping panorama and the softest golden light. We made the most of it with a breezy set of portraits: wind in her hair, a sea of hills behind them, and that brand-new sparkle on her hand catching every last ray. Afterwards, as I was packing my cameras back into my car, I turned around and snuck in one last silhouette shot of Victoria excitedly taking a phone photo of her shiny new ring and Will admiring its perfect fit on his fiancée’s finger.

A perfect plan, a perfect surprise, and a perfect evening to begin their next chapter. Congratulations, Will and Victoria!