Surprise Proposal in Coronado

May 29

There’s something extra special about photographing a surprise proposal when the people on the other side of the camera are your friends.

Rudy had planned the sweetest little beach date for Melissa in Coronado: sitting together in the sand, painting tiny birdhouses by the ocean. What Melissa didn’t know was that their afternoon was about to turn into something much bigger.. or that I was nearby, sneaking around the beach with my camera and trying very hard not to be spotted.

She said “YES!”

Through tears of joy, some of her very first words were, “Is that Willow?”

Getting to capture the surprise, the happy tears, and those first few minutes of we’re engaged!! was such a joy. I love getting to photograph the big milestones, but I think my favorite part will always be all the tiny pieces surrounding them. The painted birdhouses sitting in the sand, the nerves before the question, the tears afterward.. this was one of my favorite proposal moments ever.