A Romantic Lake Tahoe Proposal

Dozens of red roses, and stunning views made for the most romantic Lake Tahoe proposal

Richard expressed his desire to us for a romantic Lake Tahoe proposal for his girlfriend.”I am in love with the woman of my dreams and I want to create the most amazing proposal story and experience for her. My ideas are still coming together but my initial plans are to end a special day with a trip to a vacation rental home with a private dock on Lake Tahoe. I chose this idea because I wanted a breathtaking landscape to be the backdrop of the big question.

I will plan to arrive before my fiancé-to-be and set up a romantic scene with candles and roses lining the private dock (think “The Bachelor” level of proposal scene). She will have just driven up from Reno after a scavenger hunt where she picks out a new dress, gets a massage, and gets her hair and makeup done. She will probably be expecting that something is up, but she will never imagine all this amount of pomp and circumstance. I need your help to capture the moments when she sees it for the first time, and when I ask the big question.”

Fast forward to the proposal week.

We met up with Richard the day before at the rental home to scout it out and were blown away by the stunning house and views. Authentic artwork, including pieces reminiscent of Jackson Pollock, adorned the home. The 500 roses and fire bowls were already in the home just waiting for him to decorate the dock the following day. When he went over his proposal idea for Eleanor in person it had us so excited!! We honestly couldn’t wait for tomorrow to come. After heading out after our meeting we made sure to tell Richard to get some rest but we knew it would be hard.

On the proposal day, we awoke to clear skies, a stunning winter scene, and mild 55-degree temperatures

If you’ve ever been to Tahoe in the dead of winter, you will understand just how surprising this was. Being on the east shore, we worried about the wind. The winds whip in from that side of the lake, causing a significant wind chill. We arrived early to ensure that we were all ready and were seriously over the moon about the lake’s warmth and calmness. The lake was like glass and we couldn’t believe our luck!

They began the day with a couple’s massage Richard booked in Reno, their hometown.

At a point during the massage, he got up and said he had a surprise for her. One of her friends came in with a surprise for them at a point during the massage, bearing the first of many clues in a scavenger hunt. After getting her hair and nails done, Eleanor would take part in a scavenger hunt. She would be experiencing all of their firsts together. The location of their first kiss, their first date, and so on.

Eventually, the clues lead her to their place where a rack with a selection of beautiful dresses.

The dresses were waiting for her with a note for her to choose one. The note also mentioned that a car would be coming to pick her up to take her to meet him. Richard had lined the walk starting in the driveway with red rose petals. So that is what she immediately saw when the car pulled up to the house. The petals then led all the way through and on down to the dock where he was waiting for her. Each pillar had a beautiful decoration and a fire bowl on it, making the dock look stunning. 

Talk about really setting the backdrop for a romantic Lake Tahoe Proposal!

Josh was hanging out in the house to be able to capture the proposal from a view. I then had Richard face me on the dock until I saw her come down. Once she reached the dock and started walking toward him, I told him to turn around. At that point, I scurried as gracefully as I could to get the lake view behind them for the proposal. After greeting each other and chatting for a while, he got down on one knee. Of course, she said yes! We then proceeded to watch them pop some bubbly before hanging out for some photos together.

We loved how much effort Richard put into his proposal to Eleanor and it paid off.

The proposal unfolded beautifully and the stunning lake backdrop was made even more beautiful by all of his thoughtful touches. Check out our gallery to see more images of other Lake Tahoe surprise engagements. Also excited to announce that their sweet proposal was published on How They Asked by the Knot