Sunset Cliffs Surprise Engagement Proposal | Mehal + Chirag
As a San Diego engagement photographer, capturing proposals are extremely fun! Of course you can get a little nervous before it happens, but once the celebration begins it’s game on! When photographing a surprise proposal, you want to be as prepared as possible. You definitely want to speak to your client at least 1 or 2 times. The first call is usually to go over the bigger picture. I would also suggest a follow up call right before the proposal date to refresh and confirm what was discussed on the initial call. In this Sunset Cliffs Surprise Engagement Proposal | Mehal + Chirag were visiting from out of town!
Usually, whenever possible, I like to meet with the one proposing at the actual location before the session date. This way he or she is familiar with the area and the steps he or she is going to take. When you have out of town clients, the next best thing is a video call. If your schedules don’t align, then at least take a video and photos to show the client where he or she should be. Always let them know that you will be watching them and that it doesn’t have to be exact. They have enough to worry about so you don’t want to add any more stress.
San Diego Pop up picnics have become very popular, especially since COVID. Chirag had one set up for his proposal by PopUp Picnic. They had a small sign on the left that read WILL YOU MARRY ME? The whole set up was co cute! That was part of the surprise too! She didn’t know they were having a picnic. Just a walk along the beach! Once she realized what they were approaching she could not contain her emotion! She was shocked and so happy!!
As a reminder, a few tips for you and your clients. Remind them to remove any facial coverings. You want to be able to see their reaction. No masks, sunglasses, hats, etc. Have both parties have their hands cleaned up and moisturized. Obviously there are a lot of hand shots. Make sure they aren’t carrying things with them when the proposal is about to happen. So let the proposer put bags and stuff down before question gets popped. Make sure you position proposee in a place where the facial reaction is visible and able to capture photographically. It’s all about the reaction!
