The act of asking a person to marry you is a big deal. A lot of pressure is put upon the person doing the asking, they have to get everything just right, this day is too important to mess up, and of course, you have to get great photos of your surprise proposal, too, right? This is where I come in, I’m a professional surprise proposal photographer and I love surprise proposal photoshoots!
Choosing Nice France to Propose Marriage
It isn’t difficult to see why so many prospective engaged couples choose Nice to visit. As France’s fifth largest city and capital of the stunning and world famous Cote d’Azur (French Riviera), the sea is right on the doorstep, and not only that, a gateway to all the French Riviera has to offer. Additionally, there are so many wonderful places to take your new fiancé or fiancée to dinner after the proposal!
The weather in Nice, at least between May and the end of September, is also superb. While it can, and does rain, especially in the heat of the summer months like August, most of the time it’s sunny and not too terribly hot. As an English speaking photographer in Nice, France, I love to capture this very special moment where the man, or woman, gets on one knee, and asks their partner to marry them. There are a number of wonderful places become engaged in France, but my favorite is Castle Hill.
Getting Engaged on Castle Hill
Castle Hill, in French known as the Colline du Chateau, is my favorite spot for a surprise proposal in Nice, France. This is a park on a hill/rock, on the far east side of Nice, just off the boardwalk called the Promenade des Anglais. It’s super easy to get to, and has magnificent views over the entire city, the old town, the beach and the marina. It’s absolutely free, too! The only caveat is that there are 426 steps that you have to climb to get to the top. Anyone with average fitness can make it to the top, especially if you want to stop and admire the views on the way up (and there are benches as well). Otherwise, in season, there’s a free elevator, but it’s not always in service and you can never be sure when it’s in service.
Castle Hill is a tourist attraction in Nice, and therefore, a great place to surprise your loved one, as they will just think you’re going to see one of the tourist attractions in the city. Nothing will seem odd about it. Being that it’s one of the top tourist attractions also means it draws a lot of tourists. This means that some spots are better than others, and you have to be a bit patient. Both morning and late afternoon proposals work well here, but midday I’d say to avoid, as the sun is too harsh.
Planning the Proposal
Planning a proposal in itself is very stressful for most people. You may worry about your partner finding out you’re going to propose, and ruining the surprise. You may worry they won’t like the ring. You may worry that something is going to go wrong and spoil the moment, or that you’ll have trouble getting them to the spot where you’d like to propose. These are all natural fears, but as someone who has photographed hundreds of surprise proposals, I can say with certainty that:
- Your loved one will always be surprised, because even if you discuss getting married all the time, they don’t know where or when you’re going to ask them
- They aren’t that concerned with the location, they’re just thrilled you asked
- You cannot go wrong with a proposal in Nice, it’s so beautiful!
Jonathan contacted me about his surprise proposal in Nice. He wanted to ask the love of his life, Dolce, to marry him on their trip to the French Riviera. But he was really confused as to the best place. Sea view? But where? Or no sea view? In Nice, it’s pretty easy, do you want a sea view, or do you not care about that so much? Being that they’re both originally from California, now living on the East Coast of the US, they’ve seen their share of the ocean, but something about the French Riviera, the deep blue sea and the light is really special.
After discussing it for a bit, Jonathan decided that Castle Hill in Nice would be perfect. In fact, they were staying right outside the entrance to the park at the Hotel Suisse. It would take around 10 minutes or so to climb to the top of the stairs to the meeting point.
Each of my clients gets a video walkthrough and maps to find the meeting point, and while it can be stressful to think about, it’s really quite easy to find. There are several gorgeous views from above, with the sea below, that make for a perfect backdrop.
The Big Day of the Surprise Proposal in Nice
I was really excited to meet Jonathan and Dolce, and Jonathan and I were in contact that morning via WhatsApp, to go over any last minute details. We were set to meet at 5:00 pm, and afterward, he would take Dolce to dinner. I grabbed my camera gear and hiked up to to the top, to our designated spot, and waited. But I didn’t have to wait too long, because the couple had already arrived, and Jonathan approached me, and asked me if I’d mind taking a photo of them on his cell phone.
Now why on earth would a paying client give me his cell phone? Isn’t he paying for surprise proposal photography with professional camera gear, not a cell phone? Absolutely! The “can-you-take-our-picture” is just a ruse, establishing that I’m the photographer, and the bonus is, if there is anyone blocking the moment, they often move out of the way when they see other tourists taking a photo. Remember, me as a surprise proposal photographer, the other person has no idea who I am, I’m just another tourist like anyone else. So this can you take a photo of us on my phone plan works well, in fact I’ve never seen it backfire at all. I give the phone back after the photo is taken, then the person says their words to their loved one, gets on one knee, presents the ring, and the rest is happy history!
Meeting Dolce
One of the best things about being a surprise proposal photographer on the French Riviera is that I get to share in a couple’s really special moment. I love to finally meet the client who hired me, who is by now, super happy and relieved, and the person who was proposed to, too. Of course, they have no idea who I am and are really stunned, it takes them a while to realize what just happened and to sort of “come out of the clouds”, but I absolutely love photographing these couples and meeting the ladies too. Dolce is a stunning brunette with beautiful eyes and a dazzling smile. She had a warmth and friendliness about here that was so wonderful. Jonathan had fallen in love with her when they found themselves stranded in a snowstorm once, barely knowing each other, but getting to know each other under less-than-ideal circumstances. Honestly, their love story should be made into a romantic movie!
Now, they travel the world together when they can and enjoy being together so much. Dolce shared with me that the next day they’d be visiting Monaco, the principality about 20-minutes east of Nice, and a perfect day trip.
A Few Engagement Photos in Nice
After the proposal, we had time for a few engagement photos in the immediate area, again, capitalizing on the beauty of the blue water, blue skies, and then a quick drip into the old town, exploring quaint, colorful pockets of this historic neighborhood. In the late afternoon, all of the restaurants were getting ready to serve dinner, and you could smell pizza wafting through the streets. I absolutely loved our stroll, getting to know these Californians-turned-Eastcoasters, and sharing in their joy. Truly, seeing other people happy, and capturing it to treasure forever, makes me warm and happy and the feeling of joy is just hard to express!
Congratulations Jonathan and Dolce, may your love story inspire others, like it inspired me!
Karina Leigh Photography
If you’re planning to propose to the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you’ve come to the right photographer! I’ll not only help you plan your proposal in Nice, I’ll be there for you and all the questions you have, help keep you calm, warmly welcome your loved one, too, so that they feel very special, and of course, capture your proposal in images to treasure for a lifetime!
