The Planning


There is something incredibly special about photographing a surprise proposal. One person knows exactly what is about to happen, the other has absolutely no idea, and I somehow have to be in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment without giving the whole thing away.


When Calin contacted me about photographing his surprise proposal to Hannah during their trip to Nova Scotia, there was one slight complication:


He had never been to Lunenburg before.


He knew he wanted somewhere beautiful and memorable, but understandably had no idea where he should actually propose. They were traveling to Canada from New York and this was their first time to our beautiful province. Looking at photographs online is one thing; knowing what a location feels like in person, whether it will be busy, where the light falls and whether there is somewhere for a photographer to hide in plain sight is quite another.


So before Calin and Hannah arrived, we planned it together.

Coastal fishing village with rocky shoreline, small wooden buildings, and overcast sky in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Planning a Surprise Proposal in Lunenburg


One of the things I offer with surprise proposal photography is help with the planning.


You do not need to contact me knowing exactly where you're going to propose.


In fact, if you're travelling to Nova Scotia and have never been here before, you may have no idea where to start.


Calin initially had some ideas around Lunenburg based on what he had seen on Google, but he was completely open to suggestions. At one point he told me that it was difficult to know from photographs what would actually feel special in person.


Essentially, he put his trust in me.


No pressure then. So I went scouting.


I travelled down to Lunenburg before their visit and spent the afternoon exploring potential proposal locations. I wasn't simply looking for somewhere that photographed well. I was considering the whole experience:

  • Would it feel romantic?
  • Would they have some privacy?
  • What would be behind Hannah when Calin proposed?
  • Where would the light be?
  • Could I position myself somewhere without Hannah wondering why a woman with two cameras was suspiciously hanging around?
  • What would happen if the tide changed?


And, because this is Nova Scotia, what on earth were we going to do if it rained?


By the end of my scouting trip, I had six different options for him. I photographed and filmed the different locations and sent everything over to Calin so he could see what I had found. We then talked through the possibilities together. But there was one location that I couldn't stop thinking about.

Finding Blue Rocks


Just outside Lunenburg is the tiny fishing community of Blue Rocks, and as soon as I arrived there to scout it, I knew we had found something special.


It was completely different from the more recognisable views of Lunenburg.


Quiet. Romantic. Rugged. Beautiful.


Water, boats, rocks and that unmistakable Nova Scotia fishing-village landscape. More importantly, there were areas where the proposal could feel genuinely private. I sent Calin videos from Blue Rocks and talked him through the different possibilities — even down to where he could stand and which direction he should face when he got down on one knee.


Eventually, after six possible locations and quite a lot of discussion, Blue Rocks was the one. Calin took my advice and we had our location.


Now we just needed Nova Scotia's weather to cooperate.

Two people stand overlooking a scenic coastal village with rocky shores, a white house, and utility poles under a cloudy sky.

Watching the Weather


A few days before the proposal, the forecast started looking questionable. The original plan suddenly had the possibility of rain, while the previous day was looking considerably better. So Calin and I started watching the weather. Eventually we made the decision to bring the proposal forward. That meant Calin and Hannah would arrive in Nova Scotia and, only a few hours later, he was going to propose.


He was nervous.

I was excited.


And I was keeping a very close eye on the sky. By the morning of the proposal, blue skies were appearing.


We were doing it.

Man kneeling to propose to woman near rocky Nova Scotia coastline at golden hour.

The Surprise Proposal at Blue Rocks


I arrived early with my son Charlie with me as a decoy. Charlie always uses the phone to film it as it unfolds. Just a little fun airdrop after it is all said and done for Calin and Hannah to view. It goes SO FAST that you don't know what is happening. So if you can watch it back it brings back so many emotions.


The plan was for Charlie and I to look like we were simply enjoying Blue Rocks with a camera. Calin knew exactly where he needed to go and where I would position myself. The best part was:


Hannah knew absolutely none of this.


And that's the wonderful thing about photographing proposals.


For all the location scouting, messages, weather watching and planning that happens beforehand, when the moment actually arrives, everything becomes very simple. It's just two people. One question. And one very surprised person realising what's happening. Hannah walked over to the edge of the cliff and was looking out at the bay while Calin put down his jacket and camera (decoys!) and got on his knee. When he called her name she turned around and BAM!!!


Hannah said yes.


And suddenly I didn't need to hide anymore. The weather, the view, the sun, the ring - everything was PERFECT!!!

Man and woman stand on rocky coastal cliffs at golden hour, with a rustic fishing shack and calm ocean waters in the background proposing.
Man proposes to woman near rocky shoreline at sunset, surrounded by lush greenery and ocean views.
Couple embracing while overlooking a scenic rocky coastline with calm ocean waters and lush greenery.

From Surprise Proposal to Engagement Session


Once the secret was out, we could relax! Rather than simply photographing the proposal and leaving, we turned the rest of our time together into a relaxed engagement session. This is one of my favourite parts of photographing proposals. The adrenaline is still there. You've just become engaged. You're laughing, talking about what just happened and usually still slightly in disbelief. You don't have to manufacture emotion because it's already there.


My job is simply to give you enough direction that you feel comfortable and then let the two of you be yourselves.


With Calin and Hannah, that meant plenty of laughing, movement and silliness as we photographed this completely new chapter in their lives. We decided to go and have a good play! We had amazing weather and we had all the time in the world. We went to the other five locations and made the most of our time together.


We went to:

  • Lunnenberg Golf Course
  • Lunnenberg Art Centre
  • The beach
  • Into Lunnenberg main street near the Fish Shack
  • The Bluenose ship in the dock


After smiling so much our faces hurt, we parted ways. They went to celebrate at the fanastic Beach Pea Restaurant and I raced home to see what magic was on my camera. I tried but I couldn't resist editing a few photographs and sending them a little sneak peek.


Their response?


Smiling young woman in floral sundress standing near a stop sign on a sunny day with houses and trees in the background in Nova Scotia

They were “obsessed with them.”


A couple of days later, Calin messaged me again to say they'd had the perfect day and thanked me for all the scouting and for making them feel so natural during the photographs. And that meant a lot, because the planning is every bit as much a part of this service as pressing the shutter.

Couple embracing by the ocean at golden hour, with a rustic coastal backdrop and lush greenery.
Happy couple embracing and laughing together on a waterfront dock with trees and a red boathouse behind them.
Couple holding hands walking along rocky shoreline at golden hour with colorful Lunnenberg coastal buildings behind them.
Couple embracing at golden hour by the waterfront, woman in floral skirt leaning into man in green sweater.

Planning Your Own Surprise Proposal in Nova Scotia?


If you're thinking about proposing in Lunenburg, Halifax or elsewhere in Nova Scotia, please don't feel that you need to have everything figured out before you contact me.


That's what I'm here for.


You might know exactly where you want to propose. You might have a vague idea. Or you might be sitting hundreds or thousands of kilometres away thinking: I've never even been to Nova Scotia. Where on earth do I do this? We can work it out together.


For surprise proposals, I can help research potential locations, scout where necessary, consider the light and backgrounds, work out how we keep the photography secret and create a plan for the actual moment.


We'll also talk about the practical details — where you need to be, where I'll be and how we're going to make it look completely normal that there happens to be a photographer nearby.


Because you already have enough to think about.


You concentrate on asking the question. I'll help you plan everything around it.



Couple embracing outside Fish Shack seafood restaurant at golden hour, with decorative swordfish hanging above.
Bluenose Ship masts silhouetted against a pastel sunset sky at a wooden dock marina.

Nova Scotia Proposal & Engagement Photography


I photograph surprise proposals and engagement sessions throughout Halifax, Lunenburg and across Nova Scotia.


Whether you're travelling to Nova Scotia specifically to propose or you live here and want help planning something special, I'd love to hear what you're thinking.


And if you have absolutely no idea where to start? Calin didn't either — and look where we ended up.

Couple embracing and laughing under a Nova Scotia Store sign on a charming Lunnenberg sidewalk at golden hour.