Ryan & Clare’s Russian Ridge Sunset Proposal

Clare thought the proposal was going to happen in Yosemite during the big trip coming up right after this day… but Ryan had been quietly hatching the real proposal plan long before this day rolled around.

Ryan had let us in on the secret over three months ago to lock in a golden-hour proposal at the Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve, a quiet local trail he knew from his cycling routes. It’s not a generally well-known area, which made it all the more perfect with its wide open hills, fog rolling in the distance, and on this evening, a breathtakingly warm sunset lighting up the sky.

Clare was completely surprised. The second she saw Ryan kneel down, you could see it all hit her — the joy, the disbelief, the realization that this was the moment. Her reaction said everything! After the sunset proposal, they soaked in the view together, watching clouds drift through the valleys while the sun slipped toward the horizon. You could feel the calm and excitement all at once. A beautiful balance, just like them.

And Yosemite, of course, wasn’t just a ruse. That trip became their first post-engagement adventure!