Vancouver’s Vandusen Garden is not a typical spot that comes to mind when planning a surprise engagement or proposal. At least I hadn’t shot one here in ages so when Charles called me up and explained where he wanted to do it, I was excited. I forgot how beautiful it is inside and usually very quiet on a weekday. Unfortunately his original photographer could no longer capture the surprise so this shoot was planned I think in 2 days time during a cold fall day. The entrance fee (in 2022) I think was less than $5/each (compared to say Capilano Suspension Bridge at over $50/person when I last checked). We had a general idea of where he was going to propose and we finalized what direction he would come from before he arrived. He was able to get Ellen’s best friend to help out. She brought the flowers and champagne and helped with setting it up at the location while we hid and waited for them to arrive. Ellen was surprised as she thought the setup was for someone else, success! After the proposal we walked around and captured some portraits of both of them. There are quite a few areas in the park that you can use as backdrops. I loved the pond area as it almost felt they were on top of a mountain somewhere with how the fog came in that day. And who doesn’t like a garden maze? Hope you enjoy the images as much as I had capturing them. Get in touch with me to plan your next surprise engagement or proposal in Vancouver.
