Romantic Proposal in Hakone Shrine - Heiwa no Torii
In June 2024, I was contacted by a travel agent who was looking for a photographer based in Japan to help her organize the perfect proposal in Hakone for her clients. As I had experience shooting in the area, I decided to accept and help the couple to plan a moment that they would never forget.
The Preparation
I first arranged a Zoom meeting with Romina, the travel agent that was in charge of organizing the trip for the clients. We discussed in details about the itinerary of the client, the possible spots that could be the best options as well as possible plans in case of rain and more. After we agreed on the basic plan, she communicated it for approval to the client and it was all decided. The proposal would take place at Heiwa no Torii and we would pretext some content creation time (as the client is an influencer) to make sure that his future fiancée would not suspect anything.
The morning of the proposal in Hakone - Heiwa no Torii
I kept in touch with the client prior to the shoot and made sure to explain to him the details of the shoot and how it would basically happen. As we agreed upon, from 6:30AM, I drove to their hotel to come and pick them up. The reason why we started so early is simply because this spot can get crowded during the day but early in the morning (7AM or so), the light is beautiful and barely any people are present at the spot. We then made our way from their hotel to the spot. Once there, they were already amazed by the beauty of the spot and I pretexted to get started for the content creation by setting up my tripod, camera, lenses… Then I asked them to walk to the gate “to help me set focus”. Once they were there and admiring the view, it happened!
Brodie went down on his knee and asked Shayna for her hand. A beautiful moment full of emotions as she was absolutely not expecting it.
After the Proposal - Hakone Shrine
After the proposal, I made sure to give them some space to enjoy the moment. This moment is a special one for them and while taking pictures is important, I really want them to appreciate and remember the moment itself. Once they were ready, we took additional pictures and walked around the Hakone Jinja itself. They were in love with the nature, the trees and the architecture of the place. The contrast between the dark green of the forest and the red of the temple makes for a beautiful scenery - and we made sure to capture that as well.
3rd location - Onshi Park Hakone
We still had some time after the first 2 locations. Hakone is also known for its amazing of Mt Fuji so we decided to make our way to Onshi Park Hakone to enjoy the view. The park is a very beautiful and peaceful area (quite the theme in Hakone), especially in the morning. Luxurious green, beautiful tree tunnels and an amazing view over the Lake and Mt Fuji. They loved it!
This was a very beautiful proposal, both in terms of emotion and regarding the pictures produced. I am always happy to help my couples to have the best time possible in Japan by giving recommendations, helping with transportation and more. If you are looking to propose in Japan, make sure to send me a message.
