How to Propose at Mission San Jose

There are plenty of beautiful locations in San Antonio to ask your beloved to marry you. But if you are looking for a historically (literally) awe-inspiring place that captures the very essence of the Alamo City, then you can’t do better than the Missions. In today’s blog post I will give you all the details for how to propose at Mission San Jose – the largest and (second only to the Alamo itself) most famous of all the Missions.

How to Propose at Mission San Jose: No Photo Permit Required

Let’s start out with the basics: no photo permits are required for photo shoots under certain circumstances at any of the missions in the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. If your photo shoot takes place during normal operating hours, does not use any sets, props, or models, and would cause any extra cost to the park then you may take photos without needing a permit. This is according to the rules stated directly on the National Parks Service website.

If, on the other hand, you really need your proposal to be at 7:00 a.m., and you need to bring in a mariachi marching band, then yes, you will need a permit. To start the permit process, there is an online form to be filled out through the National Park Service website.

How to Propose at Mission San Jose: The Best Place to Propose

Sure, you can drop to one knee just about anywhere you like at Mission San Jose. You could certainly propose in front of the church or even inside the darkness of the granary. The most popular spot – mainly due to the fact that the narrow pathway limits crowds – is the vaulted pathway leading from the Missionaries’ Residence to the back of the church. This pathway is also going to be in shade first thing in the morning, so you will get your best photos here, making it the ideal place to propose, lighting-wise.

How to Propose at Mission San Jose: Timing

The key to proposing at Mission San Jose is timing. Crowds are always an issue, so if you want to have the place all to yourself, you have to get there when the gates first open at 9:00 a.m.

Why? Lighting.

In terms of ideal lighting, scheduling your session for first thing in the morning is really non-negotiable unless you are proposing in winter when the sun will set at 5:00 p.m. The mission closes at 4:00 p.m., so for most spring and summer proposals, you don’t have the option of scheduling your proposal in the ‘golden hour’ of the afternoon. The closest to ideal lighting you will get is the early morning, so arrive early to avoid the sun. Any later in the day and the sun will be directly overhead with harsh shadows and blown out highlights as a consequence.

Why? Crowds.

The other problem – as I found out first hand with Gabriel’s proposal to Kimberlie – is the crowd factor. The vaulted pathway is the most popular spot at Mission San Jose for photos, let alone proposals. While I was there waiting on Gabriel and Kimberlie to arrive, there was a graduation shoot going on, and I had to negotiate with another photographer to schedule our proposal around this photographer’s proposal. In short, you need to get to the mission early in order to secure your spot in line.

How to Propose at Mission San Jose: Positioning

I have included a map below to make things easy. The photographer will be standing at the end of the vaulted pathway nearest to the rose window of the church. This allows the photographer to be hidden by the pathway columns, yet still have a view to photograph anyone coming down the path from the main entrance. The couple will enter through the main gates (noted as the Indian Quarters on the map).

The photographer can get photos as the couple walks along the wall towards the Missionaries’ Residences. When the couple arrives at t the end of the vaulted pathway (with the photographer at the other end), the proposal happens.

The Best Photo Locations at Mission San Jose

Vaulted Pathway

After the proposal, my suggestion is that you keep control of your spot at the vaulted pathway and take all of your photos in this area. The light moves quickly overhead, and you will lose your beautiful shade all too soon.

The Church

Once you have finished with the vaulted pathway, it’s time to tackle the next challenge at the mission: photos in front of the church. There is no way of getting around the crowds here, and the photos you see of Gabriel and Kimberlie have been doctored with Photoshop to take out people in the background. Be smart and schedule your proposal during the week if possible. Weekends are the most popular days at Mission San Jose.

The Problem of the Church Doors

Of more concern, however, is the issue of the open church doors. The most magnificent photos you will ever see taken at Mission San Jose all include the intricate, hand-carved doors of the church. Logically, the doors are normally thrown open so that the public can enter. Sadly, though, this means that photographers are on the losing end and normally cannot take photos with the doors closed.

I lucked out during Gabriel and Kimberlie’s proposal because there was a private ceremony for which the doors were closed. I took full advantage and stormed over there after our vault photos to take as many photos as I could. This, however, is an anomaly. You cannot have the doors closed unless by special request (such as happened during one of my previous shoots). My recommendation is that you turn your couple so that you focus on one of the closed doors or simply use the power of Photoshop to recreate one of the doors.

The Granary

There are three other fantastic photo locations at Mission San Jose. The granary, the flying buttresses beside the granary, and the twisted cedar tree outside the mission walls.

The granary is a cavernous building that offers many artistic options. The doorways are perfect for backlit photos. Also, depending upon the time of day, the shadows can be quite intense and long. Finally, the doorways themselves are perfect framing devices for photos of your subject and the church in the background.

Granary Buttresses

The flying buttresses of the granary (you can tell I’m a medieval history major, no?) are a good photo background, especially since shade is in such short supply at the mission. There are a few bushes here which you can use for bokeh to photograph through.

Trees Outside the Mission

Finally, the twisted limbs of the cedar trees outside the mission are not to be missed, in my opinion. You can use them for a fun photo of your subject climbing a tree, or shoot through the beautiful branches when you catch the morning light. In any case, it’s nice to bring in a bit of nature as a counterbalance to the more architectural backgrounds found within the mission.

A Few More Photo/Proposal Tips:

It’s tempting to stay close cropped with your lens choices simply to cut out the crowds. The beauty of the mission architecture really lends itself to wide angles, however. Mix it up and don’t be afraid to go super wide.
For proposals, always coordinate your location with your photographer. I share my location with my clients before I leave my house using iPhone or WhatsApp and ask that my clients do so as well. I also ask that my clients give me a five-minute heads up to let me know when they will be arriving.
Since this is probably the first time you will be meeting your photographer, let your photographer know what you look like by sending a photo of you two as a couple. Also, send a text to your photographer saying what you will be wearing on the day of the proposal.

Meet Kimberlie and Gabe

Talk about two people completely in sync with one another. Gabe met Kimberlie five years ago through friends. Friendship turned into much more, and we have the proposal you see before you. Best of all, Gabe already has the family seal of approval. Kimberlie and her mother work at the same company. Gabe secretly asked Kimberlie’s mother to let her off work early for the proposal, and she said yes. Even more importantly, Gabe asked Kimberlie’s father for his blessing a week ago and he said yes. I think this is a go.

Enjoy the images, and I’ll have more photo adventures for you next week!

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If you found this article on ‘How to Propose at Mission San Jose’ useful, then check out these articles:

Looking to propose to your beloved in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you photograph your engagement. I have hourly rates, and all photo shoots include editing and high-resolution files.

To view more images from my wedding photography portfolio, please visit my website – KellyWilliamsPhotographer.com