A Yacht Proposal with a Twist
Jayson pulled off the perfect surprise. He planned a romantic engagement shoot in Cape Town, disguised as a casual yacht trip. To keep things covert, he told Leane the boat photographer was just doing work for the charter company. That "photographer" was me.
Capturing Moments Without a Clue
The yacht was quite small, so I played the part carefully. I snapped relaxed shots of them, occasionally asking, "Do you mind if I grab one or two for their website?" That wasn’t true, of course. Jayson had secretly hired me to document the entire proposal. Leane had no idea.
As we motored out to sea, I watched their dynamic. Jayson was clearly nervous. Leane? Totally relaxed. I snapped little moments, as best I could without being discovered.
The Big Moment
When I gave Jayson the go-ahead, he pulled out a diversion. A small teddy bear for Liane. She loves them! Jayson cleverly put it so Leane would have to have her back to him as she admired it and that’s when he dropped to one knee.
She turned back around and gasped, still not quite sure what was going on. Her whole expression shifted from surprise to absolute joy when she realised. It was an immediate yes.
Sunset, Laughter, and That "Aha" Moment
That’s when I introduced myself properly. I half expected she’d guessed something, but no, not even close. Something that really worked well was her stunning auburn hair as it lit up in the warm tones of the setting sun, the pictures came out beautifully.
I’ve photographed quite a few proposals on yachts, but this Cape Town engagement shoot had something really special. It was intimate, full of genuine emotion, and impossible not to smile while editing.
I love seeing love!
Contact meif you'd like to know more about my engagement shoots.