Louie came to me with a simple and sweet plan for his Orange County proposal: Propose to Kylie and surprise her with a family brunch in Laguna Beach! Louie met me at Treasure Island Beach a few days before the proposal to scope out the location. There are so many beautiful options at both the beach and the park. Lush greenery lines the park trail, and the beach is full of rock formations and coves, making it one of my all-time favorite locations. He saw the rock arch and knew it was the place! I knew from experience that the arch draws in quite a crowd. It’s not uncommon to see a line forming with people wanting to take pictures under it. We used this to our advantage when coming up with the plan!
OC Proposal Plan
Louie told Kylie he wanted to take a beach walk before brunch. Little did Kylie know, I was sitting near the arch, blending in as a beachgoer. When they arrived at the arch, people were taking pictures under it, just as we suspected. This gave him the perfect excuse to go under the arch. He asked if I could take a photo of them on his phone. I joked about how sitting there turned me into a professional iPhone photographer because so many people asked me to take their photo at that spot. Kylie said, “You should be getting paid for this!” I took their photo, gave the phone back, and snuck away to grab my camera while Louie got down on one knee. After saying yes, Kylie realized I was back with my camera. I said, “Girl, I do get paid for this!”
We spent the rest of the time exploring the area. Kylie asked 100 questions about how he pulled off the surprise, which is always my favorite part. I love how the revelations come to light during the session. “How long did you have the ring? That’s what you were doing that day? Everyone knew except for me?”
Proposing in Orange County? I’d love to help you and capture the moment. Contact me to start planning!
Chelsea Stratso is an Orange County proposal photographer serving all of Southern California.
View more:
Proposal at the Montage
Best Spots to Propose in Laguna Beach
