Surprise Proposal on a Yacht! San Francisco Bay, SF.
Sam reached out to me asking if I photograph surprise proposals and as always I answered a really freaking emphatic YES! I answered an even more emphatic ‘yes’ when he asked if I would be open to coming onto a yacht for his proposal to his girlfriend Anu.
He wanted to create a magical experience for Anu, their family and friends. Cousins, family and friends all joined and Anu’s sister even flew home from Europe for this event! Anu already knew this was special but it was about to get even better.
Sam rented a yacht from Live It Up Charters and they are an awesome crew. They are docked in Oakland at Jack’s Landing. They provided drinks, a massive charcuterie board and private serving staff. The boat, hotel California, is a stunning double decker with a kitchen, two full bedrooms and 2 baths below.
The weather was chilly and brisk but as we all know fog and clouds provide the perfect soft box lighting for shoots. (Don’t ever let fog discourage you! It’s beautiful and advantageous in its own way). I came on board as a ‘staff member’ but Anu already knew who I which I found out later. Needless to say this was hysterical and such a compliment that she knew me and my work already. Here I was pretending like I was part of the boat crew the whole time. 😂
Sam and I previously discussed that he pop the question at the bow of the boat. The captain and I worked together to find calm waters (so we weren’t rocking and flying all over the place) with a simple and pretty backdrop. Anu’s sister held the ring and Sam got down on one knee. How cute are these two??! Gosh, proposals are always the most joyful things to witness.
After Anu said the happiest ever yes, they went inside to celebrate as a group and Facetime their parents. This group was so sweet and fun and supportive of the newly engaged couple. We did a few spicy and buzzed couple portraits inside the boat (it was FREEZING outside) which I am obsessed with.
After they got their whiskey blankets on and had a some time to warm up, we all went outside to get some epic sunset portraits as we were going toward the San Francisco skyline. The sky really came out for us today! After the sun set, we went right up to the SF skyline and got to see the city lit up at night. That view never ever gets old. We circled the bay and then went back under the Bay Bridge to dock back in Oakland.
What a group and what a day! We had such a fun time as you can tell and I’m so happy for this couple! They are going to India for their wedding and I’m sure it’s going to absolutely breathtaking. Congrats Sam and Anu!
To see another surprise proposal with an epic after party click here.