Photo Shoot for a Marriage Proposal at Lake Garda.

Couple photographer – Marriage Proposal photoshoot – Malcesine – Lake Garda – Italy

Lake Garda Couple Photographer

Couple photographer in Malcesine: Anand& & Angelina

Capturing a surprise marriage proposal on the shores of Lake Garda, in a location that ensures a certain intimacy, with minimal crowds, during the summer… is quite a challenging endeavor. I often receive such requests, especially from foreign clients, like in the case of Anand, who sought these specific conditions for the proposal shoot for his beloved Angelina. Anand and Angelina are a deeply in love English couple, yet they had never visited Lake Garda before.

Anand couldn’t have anticipated how popular, particularly in the summer season, every accessible stretch of the lake—be it small or large—could be. His request was to photograph the marriage proposal on the lake’s shores, with the view of the surrounding mountains, in a secluded spot. When contacted, I had to explain that achieving complete isolation and privacy was unfortunately not feasible. However, I knew of a somewhat inconvenient-to-reach location, which, for that reason, tended to be less crowded than other beaches. Still, I couldn’t guarantee that, on the day of the photo shoot, it wouldn’t be filled with sunbathers occupying every available square meter.

I then had to clarify how, in such cases, covertly capturing a marriage proposal is a risky endeavor for a photographer and does not ensure the desired results for the client. In this link, I detail how to achieve the best results from a marriage proposal photo shoot: https://lucafabbian.it/fotografare-proposta-matrimonio/. Additionally, Lake Garda presents challenges that make it genuinely complicated for a photographer to conduct a surprise proposal shoot that satisfies clients’ expectations if he has to remain discreet.

Anand didn’t want to reveal my presence before the proposal (claiming to have hired me merely for a vacation memory), fearing that Angelina might suspect the true purpose of the photo shoot. However, leaving the success of the photos to chance, risking that the chosen beach spot for the proposal could be occupied by others, was not an option. Anand might have had to decide on an alternative solution on the spot, likely not ideal from a photographic perspective (lighting, background, setting).

To allow me to control the situation in case of unexpected events, we decided that I would pretend to be a tourist taking landscape photos. Anand would then ask me to take a selfie of them, enabling me to suggest the most suitable spot for them to pose (and where to kneel immediately after, surprising her with the proposal).

This plan was essential as the initially chosen location had a fair share of beachgoers. Fortunately, the area wasn’t overly crowded, and I could identify a relatively empty stretch of beach with an appealing backdrop. The presented photos may make it seem deserted, but it absolutely wasn’t. In reality, the shots were deliberately framed to avoid the presence of strangers, and when unavoidable during shooting, Photoshop was strongly utilized in post-production!

Anand’s proposal went off seamlessly, catching Angelina off guard and evoking emotions in a setting that unquestionably added to the romanticism of the moment. After revealing my presence wasn’t coincidental, we focused on capturing beautiful post proposal couple photos.

Anand’s tension and Angelina’s excitement gradually subsided, and the shoot continued in complete relaxation. From the beach where the proposal took place, we moved to Malcesine, at the foot of Scaligero Castle, concluding the session at dusk amid the historic center’s narrow streets.

I enjoy imagining that thanks to my photos, this lovely couple will forever relive this significant moment with emotion.