Hovannes & Annie’s Proposal at the Fairmont | San Francisco Proposal Photographer

Boy, was this a crazy story. From my perspective, it all started off pretty normal: Hovannes & Annie were visiting San Francisco for a few days, and they’d be staying at the Fairmont in downtown San Francisco. Hovannes wanted to propose on this trip, and of course the rooftop garden at the hotel would be a perfect, picturesque spot. He decided that the big moment would be at 9:00 AM, right in front of the big fountain, with the city skyline in the background.

When the day came, I arrived a little early as I always do to scout out the area. At 8:40, I made my way to the garden… and found a beautifully-decorated path in front of the fountain, plus two photographers, a florist, and a bunch of family members getting ready to hide. After a brief discussion among a dozen confused folks (including myself), it became clear that two different couples had decided to propose at the exact same time and same part of the garden.

So, making lemons out of lemonade, I frantically texted Hovannes to ask him to stall a bit so that the other couple could finish. The florist, Laurie, was super nice and left her elaborate decorations in place for H&A, even staying at the venue later than planned just for them. I think it made their day extra special, and of course the photos turned out beautifully with the rose petals and bouquets. (Not shown in these photos: the family members of the first couple off to the side, watching and cheering H&A when he proposed!)

Hovannes & Annie were a sweet couple, and independently of the unexpected turn of events, I really enjoyed documenting this very happy moment for them. Take a look at their proposal and their genuine smiles and joy below!