Surprise Proposal & Mini Engagement | Chris and Taryn

Manhattan Beach Pier • Los Angeles • California

About a month before the surprise proposal day, Chris and I started planning for this life changing event to celebrate a special milestone in his and Taryn’s dating journey.

The cover story of this surprise proposal was that the two of them were flying in from Boston for her birthday in her hometown of Manhattan Beach. Chris had never been to Manhattan Beach Pier himself but knew it would be the perfect spot to pop the question as the location holds a dear place in her heart. How thoughtful and sweet is that?

About a week before the day, Bryan (my husband) and I went out to Manhattan Beach Pier to scout for a spot that would be perfect for the couple. If you are reading this post in the future, 2021 was the second year of the global pandemic (COVID-19), where vaccines were developed and distributed across the world. By the time we were scouting, a lot of people were a lot more relaxed on the social distancing guidelines, and definitely out and about enjoying life again, especially at beautiful Manhattan Beach.

As a photographer for this particular shoot, it is very important that I find a place that would give me great vantage points and hiding spots. While it would be nice to get closer to the water, I felt that a lot of people had their beach tents up, which could potentially get into the pictures, providing a less desired result. Also, it would be a little tricky to identify our hiding spot and make sure we wouldn’t miss each other on the day. Instead of picking a spot close to the water and in the middle of the sand, I ended up staging the couple at this little mound that is about 30-40 feet away from a stone bench overlooking the ocean, which was a perfect spot to blend into the background.

Since Chris and I couldn’t meet in person, I decided to put together a short video with all the details about the plan. On the day, we even drew a crowd, and the rest is history!

"Stephanie was FANTASTIC. She absolutely nailed the perfect proposal/engagement photo shoot and helped to coordinate the entire play-by-play with me from start to finish. I'm based on the East coast and was trying to plan a proposal on Manhattan Beach in Los Angeles. I had never been to the beach before but knew it was the right place to pop the question. Not only did Stephanie remain stealthy and capture the whole moment with 100+ photos, she scouted the area a week ahead (and sent a Youtube video of vantage points), suggested the perfect spot (with the pier in the background), showed me her hiding spot and angles, and even ran out to purchase a bottle of champagne for me (and kept it chilled). She did all of this for me AFTER HAVING HER OWN OFFICIAL WEDDING THE MORNING OF THE PHOTOSHOOT. My fiancé and I are so happy with the photos and Stephanie was extremely generous with her time (before and during the day). She even sent ~5 photos along during the same day so we could shar them with friends and family immediately. Just incredible, incredible service and A+ quality pictures. I would 100% recommend her to anyone seeking some help for a high (or low) stakes photo opportunity."