Surprise Sunrise Proposal at Sunset Cliffs, San Diego, CA - Elaine & Karlos

One of the advantages of being a photographer is that its a great way of reconnecting with people.

Going through the daily motions of filtering through my emails and to my surprise, one of my old college friends reaching out to me about a surprise proposal! So working together over the months of brainstorming and bouncing ideas back and forth, he settled on the idea of having me ask Elaine for a photoshoot to help develop my portfolio. He had the brilliant idea of incorporating their dog Nawnee into the actual proposal. Oh my god she is such a sweetheart, shes a senior dog and making her a core part of this memory would be a gift in itself since she means so much to Elaine. Over the next few weeks Karlos would send me photos of himself showing the ring behind Elaine’s back or when she was sleeping and I could tell that this man was ready.

To immediately contradict myself, as the day drew closer and closer Karlos would tell me how nervous he was but at the same time so excited to pop the question lol. The day had come, it was a beautiful Saturday sunrise overlooking the San Diego coast, preparations were set and plans were in motion. We started the shoot like any other session, with ice breakers and about 15 minutes in he gave me the signal. I positioned myself and Elaine so that Karlos with Nawnee in tow would run up and embrace her from behind. During this window of opportunity, Karlos exchanged Nawnee’s bandana with one that read “Will you marry Puh Puh”. They embrace and he goes down on one knee and she said “YES” through tearful eyes. I wish these two nothing but love and the best of wishes in their new adventure together.

About the location:

Located in the heart of San Diego, Sunset Cliffs makes the perfect backdrop for all types of sessions. This includes, couples, elopements, and surprise proposals like this one. The beauty of the coastal cliffs comes from its historic sedimentary formations and as stewards of the environment it’s our responsibility to minimize our impacts to continue to be able to photograph in these beautiful locations.

With ease of access comes crowds of people. My suggestion for a more private experience would be to explore this area during the weekdays(avoid Holidays and school breaks) and during sunrise if you do choose to come during the weekend.

Thinking about having a session here? Inquire here and let’s talk about your vision!