Kylie and Michael’s Marriage Proposal on the Beach at the Alila Marea Resort in Encinitas, California
“He’s her lobster.”
Kylie and Michael traveled from Florida to San Diego for a weekend getaway with more in store than just the beach and sun. Michael had a vision of getting down on one knee at the Alila Marea Beach Resort at sunset and asking the love of his life to marry him. When I scoped out the location ahead of time, I sent him a few options, one being the large patio below the resort near the beach. The views were impeccable and it was an unbeatable choice.
Four years ago, Michael met Kylie on Hinge. She is an animal trainer who loves Friends, GOT, hockey, and the Jonas Brothers. I love Friends as well so when Michael asked if he could change into a shirt covered in lobsters after the proposal, I wholeheartedly said YES PLEASE DO.
I had heard so many wonderful things about Kylie so I couldn’t wait to meet her! When I tell you these two people are lovely, I mean it! They are the definition of the word. Being there to capture such a special moment and massive expression of love between two incredible people is an honor that is never lost on me.
The plan went off without a hitch. I pretended to be taking pictures of the views as Michael and Kylie walked past me and headed down the stairs. As Michael got down on one knee, I made sure to capture wide shots of the scenery and began to ascend down the stairs for closer reaction shots. This moment was four years in the making and was so thoughtfully orchestrated to create a moment they both would never forget.
As a proposal photographer, it is crucial to gauge when to approach and not impede on the moment while also being able to capture the details and reactions up close and personal like each couple wants to remember their engagement. When it feels like the right time, I’ll come up and introduce myself but then retreat to allow everything to sink in and give my clients time to enjoy every second of this once-in-a-lifetime moment. Once their heart rates slowed down a bit, we headed down to the beach to play in the water, pop some champagne, and take sunset portraits!
It’s so evident how much Michael and Kylie love and appreciate each other as partners and as best friends. I am so grateful to have met them and to have photographed the beginning of a new chapter in their lives. May everyone find their lobster like Michael, Kylie, Ross, and Rachel did.
Client Review
“A little background, I needed a last second photographer in the San Diego area to capture my proposal to my fiancée. I wasn’t really too sure what I was doing, but I was lucky enough to find this hidden gem. Mallory was able to help make my proposal idea come to life! She took the time to go over the details, map out the location and perfect proposal spot, and just ease my nerves with a solid plan. Everything went incredibly!! The photos were amazing! My fiancée is obsessed with Mallory as a person and her work. The real sign that she did an amazing job was once our friends and family saw the photos, they kept on telling me “Michael, you nailed the proposal!” In reality what they saw was Mallory doing an incredible job! Kylie and I can’t thank her enough for capturing such a special moment for us. I would highly recommend her to anyone in need of a photographer!”
