From a 10 PM Message to a Laguna Beach Yes | Derek & Bella’s Heisler Park Proposal
Derek gets down on one knee to propose to Bella at Heisler Park during their romantic sunset surprise proposal in Laguna Beach, California.
Some proposal stories start months in advance.
Derek and Bella's started with a message around 10 PM.
In late July, Derek reached out to Last Minute Photoshoot through our website and told us he was planning to propose to his then-girlfriend, Bella, on August 8, 2026.
He already had two Laguna Beach locations in mind:
Heisler Park or Crescent Bay Point Park.
So naturally, we did what any sane business owners would do at 10 o'clock at night.
We texted him back. Haha.
One of our biggest rules at Last Minute Photoshoot is simple:
Communicate quickly.
Sometimes that means answering a question in the middle of the afternoon.
And sometimes it means messaging a potential client at 2 AM.
Because love doesn't exactly operate during normal business hours.
Neither do we, apparently.
Some of our favorite love stories begin with a late-night message from someone realizing, “Okay... I need some help pulling this off.” That's exactly how Derek & Bella's Laguna Beach story began. A message turned into a plan, the plan led us to Heisler Park, and eventually Derek was standing along the Laguna Beach coastline asking one of the biggest questions of his life. Whether you contact us months ahead or realize you're running out of time, we'll help with the location, timing, scouting, exact GPS pin, proposal plan, and photography so you're not trying to figure everything out alone.
You bring the ring. We'll help figure out the rest.
Plan Your Laguna Beach Proposal
When You Message Us Late at Night, There's a Good Chance We're Still Awake
To our surprise, Derek messaged us right back.
Although, thinking about it now, maybe it shouldn't have been that surprising.
We're usually awake late editing photos anyway, so if an inquiry comes through while we're sitting at our computers, there's a pretty good chance we'll respond immediately.
We scheduled a call with Derek for the following day.
On that call, we started putting everything together.
We talked about Laguna Beach.
We talked about Heisler Park versus Crescent Bay.
We talked about how to keep the proposal a surprise.
And we talked about one of Derek's biggest concerns:
Would Bella actually make it here?
Before the Proposal, Bella Had to Make It From Brazil
Bella was flying in from Brazil, and Derek understandably had some concerns about her getting through TSA and everything going according to plan.
He asked us what would happen if something went wrong and what our refund policy looked like.
We're pretty flexible when life happens.
All we ask is that clients communicate with us and give us as much notice as they reasonably can.
Flights get delayed.
Weather changes.
People get sick.
Travel plans don't always cooperate.
And proposals already come with enough stress.
Our advice is usually simple:
Just talk with us.
We'll always try to be reasonable and figure out the best solution we can.
Luckily, none of those worries would stop this proposal.
By that afternoon, Derek officially booked us.
We were stoked.
Now it was time to plan.
Choosing Heisler Park for Their Laguna Beach Proposal
Derek ultimately settled on Heisler Park in Laguna Beach after reading one of our previous client proposal stories from the location.
That's one of our favorite things about sharing real proposals on our website.
They're not just pretty pictures.
They help future clients imagine how their own proposal might actually work.
Derek had seen another couple's story at Heisler Park.
Now he wanted us to capture his and Bella's love story there.
Once the location was confirmed, we got to work.
Choosing the Exact Proposal Spot
When we photograph locations more than once, we usually have several spots in mind rather than telling every client to stand in exactly the same place.
Different locations work for different couples.
The light changes.
Crowds change.
The season changes.
And sometimes one backdrop simply fits someone's vision better than another.
For Derek, we narrowed it down to two options:
Spot A or Spot B.
We showed him both.
Derek chose Spot A.
Now we could build the actual surprise around it.
And this one was going to require a little acting.
"Hey, Can You Take a Photo of My Wife and Me?"
The plan was for Derek and Bella to walk past us like we were complete strangers.
Stephanie and I would be hanging out at Heisler Park.
As Derek and Bella passed, I would approach Derek and ask:
"Hey, can you take a photo of my wife and me?"
He'd take our photo.
Then we'd return the favor.
Simple.
Natural.
And hopefully not suspicious.
We would take Derek's phone and start posing the two of them like any random couple helping another couple take a photograph at one of Laguna Beach's overlooks.
Except we already knew exactly what was about to happen.
We'd pose them for a few photos.
Then we'd give them one final direction:
Face each other.
That was Derek's cue.
Once Bella turned toward him, Derek would start his speech.
And from there, we'd stop pretending to be random tourists and start documenting one of the biggest moments of their lives.
One Final Call Before the Big Day
As August 8 got closer, we jumped on another call with Derek.
We went over the plan one more time.
Where to park.
Where to walk.
Where we'd be standing.
What we would look like.
How the photo exchange would work.
When he should start his speech.
And what would happen after Bella said yes.
By the end of that call, there wasn't much left for Derek to worry about.
Everything was planned.
Now all he had to do was show up with Bella.
And ask one question.
August 8 Arrived
On proposal day, we headed to Laguna Beach and got ourselves into position early.
We sent Derek our GPS location for the day along with a photo of us so he knew exactly who he was looking for.
Then we waited.
Eventually, we saw them.
Derek and Bella were walking toward us.
For Bella, it was just another beautiful evening at Heisler Park.
For Derek, every step was bringing him closer to the moment he'd been planning.
For us?
Showtime.
They passed us.
We approached Derek.
We asked him to take our photo.
He did.
Then we offered to take one for them.
Exactly as planned.
"Now Face Each Other"
We took a few photographs.
Nothing suspicious.
Just two strangers returning a favor.
Then came the pose we'd been waiting for.
We asked Derek and Bella to face each other.
Bella turned toward him.
Derek looked at her.
And the entire reason we were standing there pretending to be tourists finally came together.
Derek started his speech.
Then he got down on one knee.
He asked Bella to marry him.
She said yes.
The secret was finally out.
And now we could stop pretending. :)
Chasing the Laguna Beach Sunset
The proposal itself was only the beginning of their session.
Once Bella realized what had just happened and everyone had a chance to celebrate, we started moving.
One of the reasons we love photographing proposals at Heisler Park is the variety you can get without having to drive somewhere else afterward.
We started around the original proposal location.
Then we made our way toward the gazebo.
As the sun continued dropping, we followed the light through the park.
Eventually, we headed down toward the beach.
Cliffs.
Park scenery.
The gazebo.
Ocean views.
And finally, the sand.
Instead of spending the entire session standing in one location, we were able to give Derek and Bella a small Laguna Beach engagement session immediately after their proposal.
And the entire time, the evening light just kept getting better.
From Canada to Brazil to Laguna Beach
One of our favorite parts of doing this has very little to do with cameras.
It's getting to know our clients.
During the planning process and especially after the proposal, we get to hear pieces of the story that brought two people to that moment.
And Derek and Bella had quite the story.
Derek told us about their relationship and the distance that had been part of it.
About traveling from Canada to see Bella in Brazil.
About the effort it took to spend time together.
And now Bella had traveled from Brazil to California, not knowing Derek had an entirely different plan waiting for her in Laguna Beach.
Hearing stories like theirs gives the photographs a completely different meaning.
We're not just photographing two people standing in front of an ocean.
We're photographing everything that had to happen for those two people to be standing there together.
All the flights.
All the distance.
All the conversations.
All the visits.
All the waiting.
And now one very important trip to Laguna Beach.
Why Heisler Park Worked for Derek & Bella
Derek originally came to us considering both Heisler Park and Crescent Bay Point Park.
Both can be beautiful options for a Laguna Beach proposal.
For this particular plan, though, Heisler Park gave us exactly what we needed.
We had an overlook where we could naturally blend in.
There were enough visitors around that two photographers didn't immediately look suspicious.
Our "can you take our photo?" cover story made sense.
And after the proposal, we had multiple environments within walking distance for their engagement photos.
Most importantly, it worked for Derek and Bella's story.
That's something we always try to remind clients when they're choosing between proposal locations.
There isn't necessarily one "best" proposal spot in Laguna Beach.
There's the location that works best for your proposal.
Sometimes the Best Cover Story Is the Simplest One
This proposal also reminded us that surprise plans don't always need to be complicated.
No elaborate distraction.
No fake event.
No pretending they won a photoshoot.
No suspicious calendar invitation.
Just two people asking another couple to take their picture.
It's something that happens every day at scenic locations like Heisler Park.
And that's exactly why it worked.
Bella had no reason to think anything of it.
Until we asked them to face each other.
That's when their Laguna Beach walk became their proposal story.
From One Late-Night Message to "Yes"
It's funny thinking about how this entire story started.
Around 10 PM in late July, a submission appeared on our website.
Derek wanted to propose to Bella.
He was thinking about Laguna Beach.
He had August 8 in mind.
We happened to still be awake.
So we texted him.
A day later, we had a client.
A few weeks later, we were pretending to be strangers at Heisler Park.
And a few minutes after that, Bella was looking at Derek on one knee.
Then we spent the rest of the evening chasing the sunset through Laguna Beach while getting to know two people whose love story had already crossed countries to get there.
Those are the nights that remind us why the quick communication, planning calls, GPS pins, timelines and late nights are worth it.
Derek trusted us with a pretty big secret.
Bella trusted us with their memories once she realized what was happening.
And for a little while, we got to become part of a love story that stretched from Canada to Brazil to Laguna Beach, California.
In Derek's Own Words
After everything was over and Derek and Bella had their photos, Derek left us a Google review that meant a lot to us:
"I reached out to Son & Steph 2 weeks prior to when I had my proposal planned. I had a few ideas in my head but I was concerned as my time was running out and I needed to find a photographer. They responded immediately and provided me with lots of help. Communication was amazing! They gave me idea locations, checklists and made the special day stress free.
When the big day came, we shared location with each other, provided photos so we knew what one another looked like and had a plan. The plan was executed perfectly. We had a beautiful sunset and an hour shooting amazing photos while laughing and enjoying our time together with many creative shots. In the end, the photos turned out better than I had imagined and I can't recommend last minute photography enough. Thanks for capturing those moments that we'll cherish for a lifetime."
— D.R., Google Review
Reviews like this are one of the biggest compliments we can receive because Derek mentioned something that's incredibly important to us:
The experience before the proposal matters just as much as what happens when we pick up our cameras.
We want our clients to feel like they have someone in their corner from the first message.
Sometimes that means helping choose between Heisler Park and Crescent Bay.
Sometimes it's creating a checklist.
Sometimes it's jumping on another call because someone has a last-minute question.
Sometimes it's sharing GPS locations and photos of ourselves so everyone knows exactly who they're looking for.
And sometimes it's answering a website inquiry at 10 PM because we're still awake editing anyway. :)
Our goal is to take as much stress as possible out of the planning so that when the moment finally arrives, you can focus on the person standing in front of you.
For Derek, that plan ended with Bella saying yes beneath a beautiful Laguna Beach sunset.
And we're incredibly grateful we got to be there for it.
Congratulations again, Derek & Bella.
Thank you for trusting us to plan and capture your "yes" and for allowing us to become a small part of your story.
— Son & Stephanie
Last Minute Photoshoot
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