The Priority
Aaron knew what he wanted:
Red rocks. Big formations. Something dramatic. The backdrop that makes you feel small. He wasn’t worried about avoiding crowds, he just wanted Arches National Park, and he wanted it to look like Arches National Park.
What They Considered
There’s a whole region of Arches called the Windows. It’s busy and people are everywhere, but it’s one of the most visually stunning spots in the park because the formations are massive and very characteristic of the area. As soon as you see it, you know where you are and you wonder how it all came to be.
Aaron originally considered Turret Arch as the backdrop.
Why It Didn’t Work
We decided against it. The angles were trickier and it would’ve been harder to get the clean shots he had in mind.
How It Came Together
Double Arch made more sense for the big dramatic background, good trail access, and natural framing everywhere you look. Easy choice once we walked through it. 💍
TL;DR
Arches Proposals
The cover story was simple. Aaron and Lyna were hiking and I just happened to be on the trail with a camera, taking pictures, of birds, not sure why because I don’t normally photograph birds at all, but I saw some cool ones right before they got there.
Nothing could go wrong, right?
I was set up along the side of the trail with my full camera kit, two cameras, a tripod, the works. I was just some photographer doing her job, which, at Arches, isn’t very suspicious because somehow that area brings out the amateur photographer in everyone and literally every five people you see have cameras.
They took a few selfies together. Both of them had film cameras and they were photographing each other along the trail. Lyna had no idea what was happening.
Aaron came over and asked if I’d be willing to take a picture of the two of them together.
He handed me his film camera and showed me how it worked. I took a photo of them standing next to each other, then he asked if I could grab one on his phone too, totally normal, happens all the time, Lyna thought nothing of it.
Then I said, “Let’s try a different pose.”
I had them turn back-to-back, facing away from each other.
“Okay, turn around.”
Lyna turned around.
Aaron was on one knee.
She said later that she didn’t really suspect anything until that last second when I said to face away for a photo.
We got her to almost the last possible moment.
She was so excited, so emotional, so completely caught off guard, even though her brain had started to catch on one second before. There’s something really beautiful about watching someone get proposed to and seeing all of those feelings happen at once. You could tell that he had surprised her really well.
Green stones. Gorgeous.
We made sure to get ring detail shots, including some on the film camera, because that camera had just become part of the story. The prop Aaron used to set everything in motion ended up documenting it too.
It was a busy day and people were walking past us the whole time.
You can’t really tell in the photos.
The way we were positioned next to the trail (and how close I was to the couple) meant that the crowds were out of our view. The red rocks filled the frame. The formations were behind them. The only people in the photo are Aaron and Lyna.
Aaron wasn’t particularly concerned about having crowds, but he certainly appreciated not being able to see them in the photos.
A few notes worth knowing if you’re thinking about this:
Timed entry is worth planning around. Arches requires a timed entry permit during peak season (typically April through October). You’ll need to book that in advance at recreation.gov; it sells out fast. This timed entry is suspended as of 2026, but may go back into effect.
The Windows area is busy but not in a bad way. It’s a popular region for a reason. The formations are massive and photogenic. Crowds work in your favor as cover for a surprise proposal: one more person with a camera doesn’t raise any eyebrows.
Double Arch vs. Turret Arch. Both are in the Windows area. Double Arch photographs beautifully from below, where you get the full span of both arches overhead. Turret Arch can be harder to frame depending on where you position. For proposal photos specifically, Double Arch tends to give more visual drama with less technical difficulty.
Film cameras are welcome. Non-commercial photography doesn’t require a permit in Arches. Personal cameras, film cameras, all of it: you’re good.
The light matters. Morning and late afternoon give you warm, directional light on the red rock. Midday light is harsher but the red saturation still pops on an overcast day.
Not for 2026. Arches dropped its timed-entry reservation system for the year as of a February 2026 NPS announcement, so a standard entrance pass gets you in without booking ahead. Fiery Furnace hikes and Devils Garden Campground still need their own separate reservations regardless, and the timed-entry system could return in future years, so check nps.gov before you go. Either way, no separate permit is needed just to propose.
Yes. Its larger opening spans roughly 148 feet and rises about 104 feet (the tallest arch opening in the park), so it frames a couple naturally without any posing tricks needed. The trail in is short and accessible. It gets busy, but that works in your favor for a covert proposal: one more camera doesn’t look out of place.
Absolutely. Arches draws roughly 1.5 million visitors a year, and on a normal day the Windows area alone has plenty of people with cameras out at any given moment, so a photographer blending into that crowd raises zero suspicion. A hiking context makes it easy to have a photographer “happen” to be on the trail. Aaron and Lyna did just that: Lyna didn’t suspect until the very last second.
Early morning for soft light and smaller crowds, or late afternoon for golden hour on the red rock. Avoid midday if possible: the light is harsh and the crowds are at their peak. Since Double Arch sits within the 1.2-mile Windows Loop, an early start also means you can walk past North Window and South Window on the same visit before the lot fills up.
About half a mile round trip, mostly flat. Easy walk in, short enough for someone dressed up, close enough that you’re not exhausted before the proposal happens.
Aaron didn’t need to avoid the crowds. He needed red rock and the right moment, and he got both.
She cried. The film camera made it into the proposal story. The ring looked incredible against the sandstone. And she had no idea until the last second.
That’s what a well-planned proposal looks like.
If you’re planning a proposal at Arches National Park (or anywhere else in Utah) and you want someone who’ll coordinate the cover story, show up ready, and get your photos back to you within 24 hours, that’s what I do.
Your Double Arch Proposal
See my full Arches proposal photographer page for permits, other ceremony sites, and pricing.
Plan your Utah proposal photography
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.
