The Priority
Three months before this proposal, Syd got down on one knee first.
She proposed to Ashtyn with a black ring. It was their plan all along: they’d both decided they were going to propose to each other. But once Syd went first, Ashtyn wanted her own moment too. A full one. With photos. With something Syd would feel in her chest.
So Ashtyn started planning.
How It Came Together
This part was easy. Bear Lake wasn’t just a pretty location on a map. It meant something to Syd. She had family history there. Memories tied up in that turquoise water. The kind of place that doesn’t need explaining to someone who already loves it.
Ashtyn wanted Syd to feel all of that when she got the ring.
TL;DR
Bear Lake Proposals
The cover story came together naturally. Ashtyn suggested a weekend trip to some mutual friends, who ran with it. Weekend getaway, Airbnb, Bear Lake. Syd had no reason to suspect anything. Why would she? They do trips like this.
Three weeks before the proposal, I drove up to Bear Lake.
I walked the shoreline, found a pull-off from the road, and followed it about a hundred feet along the beach to a spot that opened up just enough to feel secluded without being isolated. Good light at sunset. The lake right there. The kind of spot where you’d want to be proposed to.
I sent Ashtyn the photos, the videos, and a Google Maps pin so she could see where we were talking about. She confirmed: this was the spot.
The proposal setup was a group effort.
Ashtyn’s friends brought everything out: a picnic spread, champagne, flowers, and the ring tucked into the picnic basket. The plan was solid. There was just one problem: a family had set up right where we’d planned to be.
We regrouped. Moved down the coast a little bit. Found a new spot, re-set everything up.
Then one of the friends realized they’d forgotten the flowers.
So we sent them back to the car. And of course, Ashtyn and Syd finished dinner earlier than expected and were on their way. We had maybe a few minutes. Everyone was texting everyone. Nobody could run into the couple before we were ready.
The flowers made it back in time.
I positioned myself behind a bush. The friends took cover further down the coast, also behind a bush. We waited.
Ashtyn and Syd finished dinner. They walked around town for a little while. Then they drove down and started walking along the shoreline.
The second Syd saw the setup, she knew.
She started smiling before Ashtyn even said a word. Her face did all of it: surprise giving way to understanding giving way to this kind of full-body excitement that you can’t fake. Ashtyn pulled out the black Blackstone ring, and Syd said yes.
Just like Syd had done for her, three months before.
They popped the champagne. More than once. Shared a glass standing at the edge of the lake, the sky still glowing behind them.
We took couples photos on the beach and then Ashtyn decided she wanted to get in the water. Some convincing happened. Syd got in too.
Dip kisses. Wet clothes. Genuine laughing.
After we wrapped up the photos, I left.
I left them with their picnic, their champagne, and Bear Lake to themselves. My job was done and the rest of the evening was theirs.
It wasn’t just the location, even though Bear Lake is stunning, but the thought and personalization that went into it.
It was the fact that Syd had done this first. She’d proposed months prior and now Ashtyn got to ask Syd to be hers forever too. And Ashtyn went and made sure she got that moment back: planned out, photographed, set beside a lake full of Syd’s memories.
That’s a proposal that says I was paying attention. Those are the ones that stick.
Bear Lake is about two and a half hours north of Salt Lake City on the Utah-Idaho border, and the water is that turquoise blue you’re seeing in these photos, it’s not edited. Sunset on the western shore is something else, especially from a quieter pull-off away from the main beach access, which is the kind of spot I scout for ahead of time.
If you’re thinking about proposing here and want someone who’ll scout the spot in advance, coordinate the details, and show up to document it all before she even knows what’s happening, that’s what I do.
💍 Photos delivered within 24 hours. Always.
The western shore is where I send most couples. I scout for a quieter pull-off away from the main beach access, close enough to the water for good sunset light but tucked away enough to feel private. I walk the exact spot in advance and send photos, video, and a Google Maps pin so you know where you’re headed before the day.
About two and a half hours north, right on the Utah-Idaho border. It works as a long day trip, but most couples turn it into an overnight or a full weekend so there’s more time to enjoy the lake afterward.
Sunset on the western shore. That’s when Bear Lake’s famous turquoise water and the mountains behind it catch the best light, and it’s also when the beach starts to empty out, so you’re less likely to have an audience.
I scout the location weeks ahead, pick a spot with natural cover (a bush, a dune, a stand of trees), and stay in close contact with whoever’s helping coordinate the surprise so I know the moment the couple is on their way. At Bear Lake, positioning near a quieter pull-off away from the main beach makes it easier to stay out of sight without needing true isolation.
Yes, and it’s one of my favorite sessions to shoot. If your partner already proposed and you want your own planned, photographed moment in return, I’ll build it the same way as any surprise proposal: a scouted location, a hidden vantage point, and photos delivered within 24 hours.
Written by
Utah-based wedding, elopement, and proposal photographer since 2025. I've scouted these locations myself, so the advice here comes from firsthand experience, not guesswork.
