Pearl Surprise Proposal Tips

The historic Pearl Brewery is undoubtedly one of the most popular spots in San Antonio for photo shoots of all types. But by far, it is the city’s most well-loved location for surprise proposals. In today’s blog post, I will share a list of my best Pearl surprise proposal tips to help make getting down on one knee a successful venture. From the only place to go, to how to work with your photographer, today’s article has everything you need to know.

Pearl Surprise Proposal Tips: The Best Proposal Location at the Pearl

The Pearl Brewery is a huge hit in San Antonio with locals as well as tourists. As such, it is hard to have any privacy on property. But if you want to get away from it all and get down on one knee, then the little island by the River Walk at Pearl Springs is the perfect place.

Pearl Springs Island: Proposal Tips

To approach the island, have your beloved come down the staircase from the Isleta Street parking lot. This will lead directly to the island. It’s up to you if you want to decorate the space with rose petals or even add a violinist for ambiance. Quite honestly, the island is scenic enough just as it is, but feel free to enhance the natural beauty of the space as you will.

The island is tiny, and can only accommodate one couple at a time. So, it pays to get there early and stake your claim on the property. This is a public space, and there always is the chance that someone could have beaten you to the punch. Accordingly, I would have a backup location in mind just in case you need to change plans.

Pearl Springs Island: Where Your Photographer Should Stand

What makes this location so great is its perfect vantage point for your photographer. The key is to position your body so that you get down on your one knee perpendicular to the to give your photographer a fantastic view of your proposal. This allows your photographer to stay hidden somewhat on the pathway, yet still get an unobstructed view of your proposal. With a long lens and a little luck, these are the best proposal photos of any photographer’s career.

For both of my surprise proposals on Pearl Springs island, I was completely out of sight of the couple and no one knew I was there. I faded into the reeds as a nature photographer, and no one was the wiser.

Pearl Surprise Proposal Tips: Alternate Locations

River Walk Concrete Patio by Hotel Emma. Pearl Springs Island will always be my favorite spot at the Pearl for a surprise proposal. However, if you are going to up your proposal game with more props, then you might try the concrete patio on the River Walk just to the right of Hotel Emma. The disadvantage of the space is that it is so public. In comparison, the Pearl Springs island offers a degree of privacy since you are hidden by the trees and isolated on a small patch of land. But if you are going to go big, then you might as well have the space to do it.

Culinary Institute Alleyway. This is a lovely spot, and I always encourage people to take photos in this alleyway. With the string lights overhead and the beautiful architecture of the brewery in the background, the alleyway feels a little bit like old world Europe.

But that said, this is a major thoroughfare. There is lots of traffic going back-and-forth, and it is doubtful that you will have the whole space to yourself. Without having traffic cops at either end of the alleyway, you should plan to have plenty of people passing by as you get down on one knee.

General Surprise Proposal Tips

A successful surprise proposal requires a well thought out plan ahead of time. Over my 15 years in photography, I have captured many, MANY surprise proposals and I am happy to report they have all gone off without a hitch. Here are my top tips for getting the best surprise proposal photos.

Before

Make a plan with your photographer and stick with it. This is my number one rule. When you were planning a surprise proposal, the worst thing that can happen is that your photographer is in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you want me to be there with camera in hand to capture the exact moment when you pop the question, then you need to stick to the plan.

In general, the ideal time for taking photos is close to ‘golden hour.’ This would be an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset. You also want to leave enough time so that you have sufficient light to take engagement photos after your proposal.

During

Have your photographer’s contact information handy. Your plans may have to change at the last minute—taxi running late, location already booked by another couple, etc.—so make sure you have a secure way to let your photographer know well in advance. Texting or WhatsApp works best on the day of your photo shoot.

Make your location known. Share your location with your photographer via iPhone maps or Whatsapp so that your photographer will know precisely when you will be arriving.

Send your photographer a photo of you as a couple. When I am working with a couple for a surprise proposal, it is often the first time I have ever laid eyes on them. Since I will be hidden from view, I need to know who I will be tracking with my camera. To this end, send your photographer a photo of you two together and if possible, tell your photographer what you will be wearing on the day of your photo shoot. Even better, send your photographer a selfie of you two right before you leave for your shoot.

After

Have a proposal plan from start to finish. You need to know the details of your plan starting with how you will get your beloved to your specific location and what time you will start. Know where you will actually make the proposal and confirm this with your photographer. Finally, have a plan for where you want to go after your proposal for your engagement portrait session.

Pearl Engagement Photo Shoot Locations

She said ‘yes’…now what? At the Pearl, you have a plethora of excellent background locations to choose from. I have written about taking photos at the Pearl previously (here), but these are my favorite go-to spots for engagement photos on the property:

River Walk

More photos along the River Walk. The River Walk area alongside the Pearl is beautiful. From the waterfalls of the Pearl Springs area to the colorful flowers planted along the walkway, you have plenty of waterfront views to choose from.

The main bridge. This is a popular shot, and you will have to time it so that you avoid the constant flow of traffic. But with enough patience, you can get a good image.

Pearl Apartments

Private patio in front of the Southline apartments. There is a walkway that goes around a private patio for Pearl residents. Here you have a relatively private space plus lots of lush greenery. If you have a couple that want to capture portraits with more privacy, then this is the place to go.

Cool infrastructure under Southline apartments. I like this area very much, but it is often packed with visitors. If you can catch a free moment, the vines covering the entrance to the Southline apartment building and the interesting vertical structure in the inner patio are both worth capturing.

Cellars apartment building covered archway. This is by far my favorite place to shoot at the Pearl. If you’re standing in front of the Southline apartment building looking through to the Cellars tan, brick archway, to me the photo looks like something out of Travel and Leisure magazine. The star lights above and beautiful brickwork, all combine to make lovely images. I have never had anyone at the Cellars make any fuss over taking photos here, but just keep in mind this is an entrance to a residential building.

Other Locations

Alleyway at the Culinary Institute. The key for this shot is to time your photo for dusk. You want to have enough light in the sky to give you sunset colors, but you also want the string lights to show. This is a very popular walkway, so again you will need to pack your patience. The photos here are worth the wait, however.

Other popular Pearl photo shoot locations: the fountain right in front of the main building for Pearl Brewery, the large mural as you are walking towards Full Goods Diner, and the fountains in this area as well. The renovated Stable Hall building is also a beautiful shot in the morning. Note that this building is badly lit in the afternoon.

Final tip: don’t forget to head into the Koehler parking lot and go up a few levels to get a backlit portrait at sunset.

Meet Taylor and Daniel

I had the pleasure of photographing Daniel‘s proposal to Taylor on Sunday, and I am pleased to announce she enthusiastically said, ‘yes.’ The couple met online and have known each other for five years. And though they share their lives together, the proposal was a complete surprise to Taylor. (Taylor did admit that she thought ‘something was up’ this week, but she had no idea about Daniel’s elaborate plans.)

As you can tell by the photos, Daniel put a lot of thought in to planning Taylor’s proposal. The planning started about four months prior. In addition to hiring me as a photographer, Daniel also hired a violinist. To help with the staging, Daniel brought along both his and Taylor’s family. That’s Daniel’s mother throwing rose petals ahead of the proposal.

Proposal Tips from Taylor and Daniel

By the way, if you would like to include your family at your proposal, I recommend having them either at the beginning or end of your session. In Daniel and Taylor’s case, their families watched from afar, and we took photos together after Daniel popped the question. The family then had separate dinner plans, and Daniel, Taylor and I took photos.

The ruse that Daniel used to get Taylor to the Pearl was to tell her they were simply going out for an anniversary dinner. That dinner did happen – he made reservations at Brasserie Mon Chou Chou for 7:30 p.m. right after the proposal – but he had a little something to do before they dined.

Enjoy the images, and I will have lots more photo adventures for you next week!

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If you found this article on ‘Pearl Surprise Proposal Photo Tips’ useful, then check out these articles:

Are you interested in saying ‘I do’ in San Antonio? Drop me a line and let’s chat about how I can help you. 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 Female violinist wearing off shoulder black dress playing the violin at the Pearl