For his birthday, Michael told his girlfriend Teresa that he had made plans for brunch (but not really) at the Ritz-Carlton at Half Moon Bay. After a brief walk, the high school sweethearts reached a cliffside spot with a great view of the beach and ocean bluffs, but instead of Teresa giving Michael a gift for his birthday, he had one for her. He dropped to one knee and opened up a velvety purple box with a massive (I’m talking like grape-sized), sparkly, oval-cut diamond for Teresa, who, of course, responded with a yes! [ read more … ]

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!

It took a village to pull this one off — Aaron had envisioned a grand proposal with an elaborate setup: a floral arch, lit sign, candles, flower petals, champagne, the works — and a group of over a dozen friends joined in to assemble everything at the end of Pier 7, with a perfect view of both the Bay Bridge and the San Francisco cityscape. [ read more … ]

On top of a mountain, above the clouds — what could be a more romantic place to get engaged?

Ron wanted his proposal to be a family event; after all, getting engaged is a significant moment in the joining of two families into one. His plan was for the parents to meet for the first time in the morning, then to take a trip together to the top of Mount Tamalpais where he would pop the question. One problem was: where in the huge expanse of Mt Tam would be a good spot? To that end, I drove up a couple of weeks prior to the proposal to scout out the area and compiled a list of locations for him. Ron and I both thought one spot in particular, with its wide, expansive view of Marin and even San Francisco, was perfect… and thus the plan for this epic Mt Tam surprise proposal was set into motion. [ read more … ]

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 … ]