Engagement Photography Virgin Islands: Carmen and Justin

Carmen and Justin, I don’t know how you do it! You both make life so magical.

So, I’m sitting on the ferry to meet up with these two and it is raining, the kinda rain that you only see in the Caribbean and it feels like it will not stop. I get to Peace Hill and the rain has stopped, you can see it in our first photo where it makes a rainbow and is magical when it’s in the distance.

Justin reached out to me with his proposal plan. He wanted to propose on Valentine’s Day, just the two of them, and meet up for photos the next day for an engagement session.

I’m not sure if you can tell from the photos but these two have been friends for a long time. Can you imagine, your future wife is actually a close friend, I LOVE their story SO much!

We decided to hike down to Denis Beach to watch the sunset and for a few more photos. It was stunning!!!! We saw a few hermit crabs and had the beach to ourselves.

Magens Bay Beach Proposal: Dana and Steven

I’m so excited to share Dana and Steven’s photo session!

Steven planned a surprise proposal early morning at Magens Bay Beach. Dana, had no idea, I mean she was totally surprised. He told her that they were going out to breakfast and as they were walking down the beach, it happened. Steve got down on one knee and asked Dana to be his wife. It was perfect and I’m so thrilled he asked me to be there to capture it all for them. Here are a few of my favorite photos…

5 Ways to Propose in the Virgin Islands!

Did you know it’s engagement season? Well, it is. It starts around Thanksgiving and lasts until about Valentine’s Day. I love engagement photos almost as much as I love wedding photos!!!

St. Thomas is the perfect location for engagement photos and better still the perfect place for a marriage proposal. I absolutely am in love with a surprise beach proposal while vacationing in the Caribbean.

Now, if you’re thinking about “popping” the question on your next trip to the Virgin Islands, I have a few tips on how to go about asking. Really, it takes just a little planning and it is easier then you think.

First—email a professional photographer, you will want to capture this special moment and share it with everyone.

Second—decide how much of a surprise you would like it to be. Will you be able to tell her about the photo shoot without her getting suspicious?  I’ve had some guys arrange a couple’s photo session and she still has no idea or they plan a family photo session and it becomes a surprise proposal. If you don’t want to tell her about the photos, then you will have to find a way to get her dressed for the occasion and to the beach.

Next—how to get her to the beach and keep it a secret. If you decide that you aren’t going to tell her about the shoot for the proposal here are my suggestions on getting the best photos for your surprise proposal:

1.     Make plans to visit the beach for a sunset walk on your way to your dinner reservations. This way you are both dressed for the occasion and it will sound natural and romantic.

2.     If you are traveling with your family or a group, arrange a family photo session or have someone in your group do a couples session as a distraction and a way to get her to the beach dressed for photos.

3. Keep things simple and plan a romantic picnic evening to watch the sunset together at the beach. Your photographer should be hiding out close by to capture you asking the big question. There are a lot of amazing locations on St. Thomas to pick from.

4.     I had one couple that planned their own photo shoot with a selfie-stick. They dressed to take photos of themselves and I was there to get it all… it worked.

5. Book a private dinner with Chef Colin right on the beach! He will set a table up on any beach and serve you champagne and dinner at your own private table, it’s as amazing as it sounds and you can find out more on his page HERE.

Now, that you have a location and a plan to get her to the beach, how are you going to go about asking her the big question? I believe life is best when you keep things simple, so I recommend simply getting down on one knee. The trick will be to get her facing the camera she doesn’t know about. This is pretty easy if you are walking in the direction of the photographer. You can also stop and look out at the ocean together… then you can take one step back from the water, get down on one knee and she will turn from the water towards you and your sparkly ring, aaannnndddddd the camera. Boom!!!! Easy, magical, and a moment you will forever cherish & remember.

If you feel like getting a little creative for your Virgin Islands beach proposal, here are a few ideas I’ve seen work well:

1. Write in the sand “WILL YOU MARRY ME?” This can be written in the sand, with sea glass, or with rose petals.

2. A wedding planner like Island Bliss Weddings can design a magical picnic spot with champagne, flowers, pillows, and candles.

3. A florist like East End Flower Shop can design a large heart-shaped out of rose petals.

4. There is also the idea of doing a mutual engagement, where you plan together.

5. My favorite and go-to is the simplest of all—you just point out over the water to direct her attention away, say something like, “Look a dolphin or sea turtle!” and get down on one knee!!!!!

6. Another idea is to ask her to marry you privately while it’s just the two of you and tell her that you have an engagement session planned the next day. This way she knows about the photo session and can pick her favorite dress and we can always recreate the proposal moment for a photograph.

7. I also love this slim engagement box that will not be noticed in your pocket!

8. A sunset sail can be romantic as well. I love working with Sail Meow.

I would love to hear if you have a creative idea for a surprise beach proposal.

The best part about doing a surprise proposal on a St. Thomas beach is that it instantly turns into your first engagement session.  Send me an email and we will get started on planning your perfect surprise proposal.