Sunrise Proposal at Arches National Park

Delicate Arch - Arches National Park - Moab, Utah

What a day. I headed down to Moab, Utah just after the new year to capture a surprise photo proposal in one of the most iconic locations in the world… Arches National Park. These two were traveling from the south hitting up all of the national parks in Utah during the off-season.

Pro tip: If you want to do a wedding, elopement, engagement session or proposal at Arches National Park, it’s best to do it in the off-season! Especially January! The weather in January can be chilly but after doing this 1.5 mile hike to the Delicate Arch, you’ll need to cool down.

I started the Delicate Arch hike around 8am (just after sunrise). As I hiked to the iconic “license plate worthy” natural wonder, I only passed a few groups. Crowds were a concern as the Delicate Arch is one of, if not the most famous Utah national park hikes however I was shocked to discover only one family at the base of the arch.

I set up my gear and waited for my couple to finish the hike and be rewarded with the grand beauty of the Delicate Arch. Once I spotted them and they unknowingly made contact with me (1 of 2 methods I like to use during a proposal - ask for my guide to find out the other one!), I set the two up for a photo and the rest was history!

After everyone calmed down and we made sure she said yes, we moved on from the proposal to an engagement session. These two were so filled with joy from having just gotten engagement that the photos turned out magical! One of my favorite things about photographing proposals is the photos that come after the proposee says yes! The photos are always so natural, heartfelt and fun!

I can’t wait to go back to Moab in the next few months to do something similar :)

If you want to schedule a surprise photo proposal in a crazy cool location like Arches National Park, click here to get started!