Derek and Natalia were already set to get married — they’re having a small ceremony in a few weeks — but Derek made sure his bride would get the proposal she deserves. Originally he wanted this to be at the nearby Hawk Hill, but as I waited there for them, the clouds rolled in; due to its high elevation, Hawk Hill poked right up into the low-lying clouds that day, obscuring the view. So I quickly texted Derek to go to plan B, and I hurried down the hill before they arrived. When they reached the lookout point, Derek brought her over to the Golden Gate Bridge overlook to pop the question. Natalia was happy beyond words, and I’m very excited to share a few photos of this perfect Battery Spencer surprise proposal!

Last weekend, Keanu and Gabby went on a little hike in the Marin Headlands, making their way down to the beach at Kirby Cove. He brought along a bag with some stuff for a picnic. “But how are we going to picnic without a blanket?” Gabby wondered… well, ask and ye shall receive, because unbeknownst to her, we had already made our way down to the beach with a blanket, bouquet, and champagne in a bucket of ice, ready and waiting! [ read more … ]

Jo-Anne and Dhruv did a ton of homework for their engagement photo shoot and were very hand-on in planning the perfect session. To get just the right kind of photos that they were envisioning, the pair visited a lot of potential locations ahead of time and we also talked extensively about what to wear that would look good there. We eventually decided on the Palace of Fine Arts + Slackers Hill [ read more … ]

Chris really went all the way with the thought and planning that went into his Lovers’ Lane surprise proposal. He had concocted an elaborate story going back several weeks to cover up his real plan, and had even created a Google Sheet with the play-by-play. (My favorite play in the playbook is: “BAM. This is where I trick her into marrying me.”) For the actual moment, he’d also picked out some props and decorations — lanterns, light-up “MARRY ME” letters, and rose petals — that were simple yet really added a nice touch to the whole event. [ read more … ]

Zach and Jenn’s Hawk Hill surprise proposal was exactly as happy and exciting as the photos below show — Jenn was literally jumping up and down! I was super excited when Zach chose this spot, as we’ve done proposals all up and down the Marin Headlands but never at Hawk Hill (until now). It’s actually really perfect and worked out wonderfully, as the location is relatively quiet and offers an incredible view of the Golden Gate Bridge and of San Francisco. [ read more … ]