San Diego Proposal Goals: When Your Boyfriend Plans a Secret Photographer AND Nails the Surprise

Some guys show up with a ring.
Brandon showed up with a ring and a secret San Diego proposal photographer.
Game. Set. Proposal.

He reached out to me last-minute—like, “Hey, are you free to secretly hide near the dunes of Coronado and photograph me proposing to my girlfriend tomorrow?”
Sir, I was born for this kind of stealth mission.

So here’s how it went down: Brandon had it all mapped out. He was going to propose to Gabi on the beach in Coronado (because obviously—if you’re popping the question in San Diego, Coronado Beach is practically proposal HQ). The sun, the sand, the “Is this real life?” golden hour glow. Perfection.

He told me he didn’t want any of those posed, cheesy engagement photos. “Just photograph the proposal only,” he said. Okay. Cool, calm, and casual. Understood.

But then the moment happened.
He dropped to one knee.
Gabi said YES.
And the next words out of her mouth?
“Aww… I wish someone had captured that on camera.”

Cue the big reveal: Brandon pointing in my direction and saying, “She did.”

Honestly? I live for that reaction.

She was floored. And just like that, we rolled right into some effortless, candid post-proposal engagement photos—nothing posed, nothing forced. Just the two of them, high on adrenaline and love, walking the beach like they owned the place. No cheesy heart hands. No awkward prom poses. Just cool, windswept romance and real smiles.

And let me just say: Brandon crushed the cool fiancé look. He didn’t want the traditional, overly posed engagement session vibe—and that’s exactly what we avoided. These two looked like they walked straight out of a magazine shoot but with real feelings and zero fake smiles.