A Surprise Engagement on the Beach | Long Beach Proposal Photography

Proposal photography has become a large segment of my business. Although I probably get as anxious as the groom does for these, I love surprise proposal sessions so much. It is such a special moment to be a part of, so when a client chooses me to photograph this for them, I take it very seriously and put 100000% into the session. Most of the time, the couple ends up feeling like extended family to me. I just get so happy for them.

This recent session took place in Long Beach. Now, I know I might be biased because I live here, but I really can’t think of a better spot to propose than right on the shore at sunset. When I met the client for his pre session consult, we chose the ideal spot on the beach and came up with a plan to capture the moment. He brought his friend along to the meeting, who was going to arrive early on the day of the proposal to use sand dollars and create a message in the sand saying, “Marry Me?”

My client told his girlfriend that they would be meeting friends to have pizza on the beach. Their friends live in town and this is something they ordinarily would do, so it did not seem like a suspicious activity. Furthermore, the following weekend the couple was going on vacation and my client knew that she might suspect the proposal would happen during that trip. He decided he wanted to really surprise her by asking the big question a week earlier.

On the day of the session, it was low tide when I arrived, so that meant we could place the message all the way at the shore line. This was perfect because she would not see the sand dollars right away and it would add to the element of surprise. The evening was the most perfect night. It was a mild 67 degrees, but there was no wind, so it felt quite warm. The sunset, which in the days proceeding the session had been shrouded by haze due to the fires out west, was completely clear and this was a welcomed surprise. Moreover, there were throngs of surfers in the ocean that day, which added another interesting visual element to the images.

Although it is not my typical shooting attire, I dressed in sweatpants and a sweatshirt for this session because I really wanted to blend into the crowd of beach goers. I brought along my husband and some beach chairs and sat right at the shore line with a blanket over my lap to hide my camera. When the session is in a public space like this one, I often can find a way to blend right in. If I can’t, then I use a long lens and hide in bushes, behind cars or various other locations. I love that for this particular session, I was right up front.

Afterwards, I took some engagement photos during the spectacular September sunset. They were such a fun loving couple and I was able to capture so many gorgeous images of them. There is so much love between them and it shines through in every photo.

During the engagement mini session, their families were hiding in a great spot on the boardwalk. When we finished and walked up the ramp to the boardwalk, they jumped out to surprise the newly engaged couple; it was such a happy moment.I snapped a few family photos and then they were off to celebrate the momentous occasion at a restaurant in town.

Here are some of my favorites from the session.

If you are interested in a session, contact me.