One tranquil morning last weekend, the world held its breath as Pankaj and Vaibhavi paddled a rowboat around the waters of Stow Lake. As the birds chirped around them, they glided towards the iconic stone arch bridge. Little did Vaibhavi know that this ordinary morning was about to become an extraordinary memory. With their calm surroundings amplifying the moment’s intimacy, Pankaj positioned their boat perfectly in front of the bridge, then took her by surprise with a heartfelt proposal. [ read more … ]

Vina and Lisa share an amazing love story together: after meeting online over a decade ago, they gradually grew closer until they each knew they had found the one. In 2021, they each planned to surprise the other with a proposal — and though Vina was just a bit quicker on the draw, proposing to Lisa at Baker Beach at sunset almost exactly two years ago, Lisa would return the gesture with a beautiful proposal in the desert sands of New Mexico.

This July, Lisa and Vina finally became wife and wife, united in marriage before their family and friends. [ read more … ]

Brandon had been preparing for this moment for months — he envisioned his proposal to Sabrina to be perfectly set up, at the perfect location, and timed right at sunset. He was concerned about fog (it is the month of Fogust, after all), and to mitigate the risk, he chose a location up in the Berkeley fire trails. As luck would play out, it did end up being very foggy that day… but because of the great location choice, his proposal would happen well above that thick sea of fog down below, making an incredible scene. [ read more … ]

I can say with certainty that Stan & Yanyu’s proposal is, and will forever remain, one of the most memorable photo shoots of my career. Mission Peak is (according to AllTrails) a grueling 7.3-mi hike featuring a 2,135-foot elevation gain, by far the most intense hike I’ve ever attempted. It was quite the climb, especially when dual-wielding heavy cameras and carrying enough water to last me the ~6 hours I was out in the 90-degree sun. But the sweeping, panoramic views all along the way, and especially the resulting photos, made it all more than worth the trek! [ read more … ]

Sometimes, surprise proposals don’t quite end up being 100% a surprise — and this has its charm, because among other things, it means she has a chance to prepare for what will be an amazing moment. Last weekend, Austin and Erin had a special dinner together in San Francisco, then afterwards made their way over to the Palace of Fine Arts, where we were ready to capture the moment. The evening sun gave them a warm, golden welcome [ read more … ]