Most of the time, planning a proposal requires making up a believable, sometimes elaborate excuse to go out to a picturesque spot before popping the question. But not for Chen… Chen is two steps ahead of everyone else. It was his girlfriend Liz’s idea to go out for a girls’ photo shoot with her friends, and this gave him the perfect opportunity to set up a very special, very unique proposal for her. Here’s the story of Chen & Liz’s Legion of Honor surprise proposal. [ 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 … ]

Sometimes, we’re dealt a combination that is just too good to be true: the sweetest couple, in the most scenic location, with unbelievable weather. Tim & Kim love to hike, and they know all the good spots in the Bay Area… which is great for us as we love to explore new places for photos! They ended up choosing a mountaintop engagement photo shoot in Portola Valley, at a beautiful, quiet expanse of nature nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It’s a wonderful spot for engagement photos, and even more so for Tim & Kim since the outdoors is something they enjoy together as a couple. [ read more … ]