If you’re looking for a sign to hire an engagement photographer for your San Diego proposal, this is it. Especially if your plan involves trickery, ocean cliffs, and just a hint of “Wait… what are we doing here again?”

Flight Attendant Meets Engineer. Sparks Fly.

She’s a globe-trotting flight attendant with a rollaboard full of stories. He’s a mechanical engineer who could probably MacGyver a coffee maker back to life using a paperclip and a pack of gum. Together? Absolute magic.

They met through friends and a shared love of live music—the kind of serendipitous intro that feels even more rare than an open isle seat. Their relationship has been a perfect balance ever since: part jet-setting adventure, part grounded-in-reality support system. This is the long-game kind of love—the kind that starts sweaty, sun-soaked, and slightly dehydrated at a music festival with mutual friends. Fast-forward five years, and here we are: a surprise proposal on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

Wyatt had been planning this San Diego proposal for over a month. The fake-out? He told her they needed to pick something up from Facebook Marketplace. Casual. Harmless. Totally believable. Rebekah didn’t know it but the “seller” was a friend of a friend, and they’d just swing by before dinner with some pals. Easy. Except the house wasn’t a normal house. It was a mansion. Immediate red flag. She didn’t want to go inside—because let’s be real, who walks into a stranger’s 12-bedroom palace just because someone’s “selling something”? Somethings fishy. She was already side eyeing the whole thing. He was acting a little different from the norm. But she’s had these suspicions before and nothing came of it, so she rolled with it.

But Wyatt had baked the line into the plan: he’d ask the seller, “Hey, what is there to do around here?” And that was the setup. Because the guy would casually suggest they check out Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, just a short drive away. And just like that, they were headed to one of the prettiest spots in San Diego.

They walk out to the cliffs. The ocean’s doing its usual “I look like a postcard” thing. And just as she’s wondering if this was all a little too…well-planned, she spots me, they have a good laugh and then Wyatt drops to one knee.

Need your own Engagement Photographer for a Surprise Proposal in San Diego?

Whether you’re the type to orchestrate a full-blown ruse involving mansions and marketplace meetups, or you’re more of a toes-in-the-sand, “will you?” whisperer, I’ll be there to help. You’ve got 70 miles of coastline here including cliffs, crashing waves, and natural light that does all the heavy lifting.

And when you’re ready to pop the question, you need engagement photographers who get it—someone who knows the best proposal spots in San Diego, how to stay invisible until the big moment, and how to make sure you look amazing while it’s all going down.

If you’re planning a surprise proposal in San Diego—or you’re just starting to float the idea—let’s chat. I’ll help you find the perfect location (even if it doesn’t involve Facebook Marketplace), and capture the moment in a way that makes you want to frame every single photo.

Lisa G (Elle G) is a San Diego beach photographer based in Pacific Beach, CA. Proudly serving San Diego’s coastal communities: La Jolla, Del Mar, Encinitas, Mission Beach, Mission Bay, Sunset Cliffs, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Coronado. 858-344-1068. To chat about booking your own portrait session click HERE.