Category: Proposal

Kylie, a wedding planner by trade, had been dreaming and talking about her own wedding for quite some time. She even had her dress picked out. She knew that Julie, her girlfriend of almost 7 years, would pop the question soon—she just didn’t know when and where. Maybe during their trip to Aruba? Thing is, Julie kept insisting that she wanted to get engaged back in the US…but all along, she had something up her sleave. Julie did indeed have plans to surprise Kylie with a proposal in Aruba, and she did it in a very unique way, along with the help of the Aruba Wedding team.

Aruba Wedding offers an Island Tour Proposal Package that serves as the perfect excuse to pop the question at a unique location on Aruba that no tourist would ever find on their own. The tour can be paired with photography and/or videography. Couples are driven around the island on a private tour by a tour guide who is actually a photographer or videographer who takes photos (or captures videos) throughout the tour.

An accountant who is very particular about details, Julie leveraged our Island Tour Proposal Package, choosing Photography and videography, and took it a step further to ensure that Kylie would have no idea that a proposal was coming. She created a fake contest—using a fake email, fake photo release form, and fake confirmation form—and convinced Julie that they had won the contest, the prize being the Island Tour. Julie even threw a few cheeky details into the confirmation email—like the confirmation code numbers translating into “marry me” if turned into letters—so they could look back on the email with laughter and smiles later.

On the day of the tour, Julie still had no idea that a proposal was planned—in her mind, they were simply redeeming their contest prize. Our first stop of the tour was the Seroe Colorado natural bridge at the southern tip of the island, which is where the proposal would take place. The proposal moment almost went wrong as Kylie turned around just as Julie was pulling the ring out of the pocket of her dress, but Julie saved the moment by turning around with the ring behind her. On the second try, Julie went down on one knee and proposed to a completely surprised (and very happy) Kylie. Kylie never saw it coming! We then finished up the tour with photos at the Balashi Gold Smelter Ruins and then Mangel Halto Beach at sunset—the perfect ending to the surprise proposal.

We invite you to watch the video of the surprise proposal as well as the complete video of the tour. Their happiness following the proposal is vibrantly apparent, and we have no doubts that they will cherish the video forever. After spending the day with this lovely, fun-loving couple, we’re convinced that they have a wonderful future ahead of them. We wish them all the best!

We guess Kylie loved it reading her review below 😉

Ladies!! Are you tired of waiting on your man to pop the question? Well, this was not really the case of Leticia and Paulo. The first three times Paulo proposed to Leticia, she was just not ready yet. When she finally was ready, she was scared Paulo had given up. Leticia, an assertive go-getter from Brazil, saw an advertisement from Aruba offering the chance to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Aruba for women ready to propose to their boyfriends, and she took it as a sign.

It must have felt like destiny calling when she was informed that she had won the trip. Experienced back-packers, Paulo and Leticia always look for new destinations and things to see. A surprise trip did not seem strange to Paulo, so the happy campers got on the airplane and went on their next adventure.

Being experienced wedding photographers and videographers, having captured many proposals, we got to take the couple out on a tour around the island and capture “whatever” would happen. Paulo and Leticia always try to find new experiences on a budget, and to Paulo, participating in a video/photo shoot didn’t raise any suspicion.

When we arrived at our first location, a secluded beach on the north coast of Aruba, it was H-hour for Leticia. She walked up to Paulo with the rings in hand, asked him if he would marry her, and Paulo took his sweet loving time to register what happened. Once he fully comprehended what Leticia was asking him—that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him, breaking all convention and proposing to him—he couldn’t hide the emotions!!

It is more than acceptable for a man to shed a little tear of joy at moments like this, right ladies?

The Aruba Tourism Authority, the organizer of this all, wanted to stimulate women to propose to their partners, breaking with all conventions and encouraging women to take control of their lives. That is why we love this particular story. We don’t see this nearly enough. Most stories of proposals and engagements in Aruba are of men proposing to their girlfriends/partners. We are sure more women are out there, ready to take control and just pop the question. It is more than acceptable in this day and age, and we support it fully!

Side note…have you guys seen those rings? With a map of the world engraved on them?!?! Are you kidding me?? How fitting is that for a couple that love traveling, always on the hunt for their next adventure? Well, Paulo & Leticia, we wish you all the best as you embark on the biggest adventure of all!

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Jay and Meg met online, and they hit it off immediately. After dating for a while, Meg had made a little book with all the messages they sent to each other when they first started talking to each other. We all remember that feeling when you first message someone you like, and that just HAD TO BE THE CENTERPIECE of Jay’s proposal. I mean, how couldn’t it!?!

So we asked Jay to bring the book, have a little note saying “Open me” and another saying “Will you marry me?” We met up on the big day to go over the game plan; he entrusted the book to us, and later that night, we would hide near the beach of Fisherman’s Huts in Aruba, waiting for Jay & the unsuspecting Meg.

As we arrived to set everything up, poor Jay couldn’t stall Meg any longer without raising suspicion. Luckily we like to be early. Jay sent us a message, and we replied we were good to go. We sent the exact location via GPS & a picture so Jay could easily find the little setup we created for the proposal. Jay was SO nervous he wouldn’t be able to find it, so when we saw him checking his phone in the distance, I tried to guide him through “discreet” messages. “A little further, see that little wall there??” But the nerves just took over. While guiding Meg towards the setup to be surprised to see the book she made, he completely missed it. He just walked straight past the setup!

Often we are contacted by men wanting to do something special for their proposal/engagement photography during their travels to Aruba. When Matt reached out to us regarding his plans to propose to Alexa, he knew exactly what he wanted. Matt & Alexa love traveling, and they have been all over the world and love to go off the beaten path. What better way to pop the question than to go on a “tour” that does just that.

So we took Matt & Alexa on a tour across the island, carrying our cameras under the disguise of making a video commercial for a private tour company, and took off towards Arikok National Park on Aruba’s north coast. Matt looked online in preparation for the big moment and found Dos Playa, a set of twin coves in the park.

Matt was a bit afraid he wouldn’t be able to keep the ring a secret for long, so he was eager to pop the question as soon as possible. They walked up towards the edge of a cliff, and as Alexa looked at the waters below, Matt got down on his knee. May I add that this was quite the sacrifice from him as the north coast, especially Dos Playa, consists of sharp limestone rock formed from old coral reefs. In preparation, we had our drone up in the air to capture this fantastic moment with nothing short of an epic shot! After this fantastic proposal, we got to shoot an awesome upbeat proposal video to reflect the upbeat characters of Matt & Alexa.

Aruba is a fantastic place to explore, and if we get to take our guests off the beaten path, we get to create incredible videos and photography. Locations like Plantage Prins, Balashi Gold Mill Ruins, and the mangroves of Frenchmen’s Pass are stunning backdrops for your proposal videos and engagement photos. We love to create something that fits the characters of our clients, and I think, based on our time with Matt and Alexa, we did just that.

Wow, wow, wow. Where to begin?

In our time as wedding photographers and videographers on the lovely island of Aruba, we have gotten to witness some great—no, awesome!—stories of couples taking the next step in their lives together. Today I will be telling the story of a proposal that had me crying, and we were there to capture it all.

We get to form integral parts of weddings, proposals, engagement shoots, family shoots, and whatnot, but none quite as unique as the day George popped the question and asked Alyce to marry him.

You see, George had asked Alyce to marry him before, but she was not quite ready yet. Alyce had some challenges to face, and George would stand right beside her every step of the way.

And then, the time was right. Alyce was ready, and George was willing and able. So they booked a nice romantic couples vacation to Aruba. Alyce suspected that something was up, and oh boy, something was.

A while before traveling to Aruba, George sought out Marielle from Proposal Planner Aruba to come up with a plan to propose to Alyce. After a lot of brainstorming, planning, and preparations, it was time.

George booked an “island tour” with “a bunch of guys” who happen to be photographers & videographers (this is where we came in). So we arrived and picked them up to explore Aruba’s wilder side and take a few pictures along the way.

Here she must have suspected that something was up, but Marielle and George surmised as much and found a way to remedy that.

A MISSION OF MISDIRECTION

We arrived at the first location, the ruins of an old gold smelter with great rustic aesthetics on the northern coast of Aruba, called Bushiribana, where Marielle was waiting. Before Alyce was allowed into the ruins, though, she had to put on a blindfold.

After being guided through the ruins, they came to a standstill. We could see the excitement on her face. “This is it…he’s going to propose!” she must have thought. When she took off the blindfold, she was surprised by George…standing there—not for the proposal, but rather to surprise her for her birthday with a few balloons.

Of course, we don’t mean just a few balloons. I mean, it was a nice-looking setup, just not what Alyce expected. It was the day before her birthday, after all, and the first mission of misdirection succeeded.

We did get to take some great photographs and video, and they looked absolutely stunning, but Alyce was not aware that there was more to follow.

GOOD FORTUNE

Next stop…Ayo Rock Formations, one of our favorite locations. Not beachy at all, but rather rustic and wild. (Aruba has so much more to offer than just white sandy beaches!) So we walked through the site, talked a bit about the ancient history of Aruba, the Pre-Columbian era, and had a good ol’ time. One of our team members was “struggling” with some of the gear, and we asked if George could “help him out.” In the meantime, we decided to take some solo portraits of Alyce on top of a nice-sized rock.

When George returned, he was carrying a little tray with some fortune cookies. “What is this?” Alyce must have thought. “This is the moment he will propose to me! We are getting engaged!”

So, George gave her the first cookie, and Alyce opened it. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” it said. The next one said, “I am so proud of you,” and the third said, “To celebrate the person you are, I’ve made reservations at Passions on the Beach.”

There she stood. Happy. Confused. She must have thought, “Why tell me where we are going for dinner like that? Sweet, but, why?!?” The second mission of misdirection accomplished.

THE GRAND FINALE

After passing by a few more locations, taking pictures, having fun, we arrived at Eagle Beach, Aruba’s award-winning beach. The “unsuspecting” couple was received by Marielle from Proposal Planner Aruba once more. Now, George was blindfolded, after which Alyce was also blindfolded. Why both, though, right? It’s all about misdirection, my friend.

George took off his blindfold, and they guided Alyce onto the beach. Proposal Planner Aruba had arranged a setup with flowers, lanterns, and a violinist, pulling all the stops, because this was the moment—George would go down onto one knee and ask Alyce to marry him.

Alyce heard the violinist, asked if there was a wedding going on, still somewhat confused as to what was going on, but this didn’t last long. Cue the waterworks!!

The blindfold came off, and there George was, down on one knee with a ring in his hands and giving the best speech I’ve ever heard. A sunset sky explosion, champagne, puppies, tears, smiles, and the best proposal we have ever witnessed.

We witnessed a masterclass in building up tension for your proposal. It was the perfect 3-step master plan to pop the question during a Caribbean getaway vacation.