Matthew had the perfect surprise proposal planned for his girlfriend Athena. It was going to be in Carmel Valley, at a special spot with an absolutely majestic view of the valley below. Record-breaking wildfires had ravaged the California countryside and clouded the skies with smoke just days before the proposal, but that wasn’t going to stop him — if the coronavirus couldn’t keep them from getting engaged, then neither was the smoke. And so the stage was set for one incredibly beautiful Carmel Valley Ranch surprise proposal. [ read more … ]

COVID-19 has really put a hamper on going out and on travel in particular, but love doesn’t stop and love doesn’t wait. Last week, Michael brought Lexus down to this perfect Golden Gate Bridge vantage point to surprise her with the question. But before they made their way there, he smoothly got Lexus to hop on a video call so that her family could see it happen. In a true reflection of the times, in these photos below you’ll see them both wearing masks during the proposal, and Lexus holding her phone for the video call. One of my favorite things about this proposal, by the way, is how the mask covers Lexus’s face, but her emotion and joy have no trouble shining right through it. [ read more … ]

Akshay and I first talked in May about his upcoming planned proposal, and it was all planned out and ready to go until yet another new 2020 twist was added into the mix: not coronavirus this time, but the wave of protests and curfews kept his proposal from happening the way he had wanted. That wasn’t going to stop him for long, of course! A few weeks later, he brought his girlfriend Aditi up to San Francisco for a surprise engagement at the Palace of Fine Arts. [ read more … ]

We often get asked for advice on good locations for a picturesque surprise proposal, especially for clients coming from out of town. Luckily, Lydia didn’t ask for my help — because, even after all these years of photographing couples and proposals, I definitely wouldn’t have thought to suggest a basketball court surprise proposal. But I can’t imagine a single thing that could have made this a more perfect afternoon for the two of them! [ read more … ]

As Rohan was planning his proposal, he knew he wanted a place that was quiet and beautiful, and Martin’s Beach was at the top of his list. Clearly, he had done his homework — I didn’t even know about this place until he told me about it! This incredible beach actually has a pretty interesting history [ read more … ]