Some moments feel like they were always meant to happen at the edge of the ocean. Samuel’s cinematic proposal at Terramar Point in Carlsbad was one of those moments; quiet, intentional, and lined with emotion from the very first second. Terramar Point is one of those places that holds its own kind of magic. Steady waves, soft cliffs, and a wide-open sky that always seems to show up for you. I tucked myself away in the distance as Samuel guided Fenisha toward the overlook, completely unaware of what was about to unfold.
There’s something special about witnessing a cinematic proposal at Terramar Point from a distance — you get to see the tenderness in the small gestures: the way he held her hand, the nervous excitement in his shoulders, the way she leaned into him without knowing her life was about to change. And then it happened. Samuel dropped to one knee, the ocean humming below them, and asked Fenisha to marry him. Her reaction was instant — pure shock, pure joy, pure love. The kind of expression you can’t script and can’t recreate. It was real in every sense of the word, and the cliffs around us felt like they were holding their breath with her. This moment is exactly why I love documenting proposals; the honesty, the surprise, the heart of it all.
Once the excitement settled and the ring found its home on her hand, we headed down to the beach for more portraits, Samuel & Fenisha still buzzing from the energy of the moment. They moved through the water with ease, fully present, soaking everything in. The ocean felt calm and warm, almost like it was celebrating with them.
Samuel and Fenisha had chosen to incorporate film into their package, which added a layer of nostalgia to the images. There’s something about film during post-proposal adrenaline that makes every frame feel even more timeless — the grain, the softness, the slight unpredictability that mirrors emotion so well.
As the sun slipped away, the moon rose brighter than expected. It lit up the shoreline just enough that we were able to keep shooting well into Blue Hour. The colors turned cinematic and moody, shifting from golds to deep blues, and the moonlight wrapped around them like a quiet spotlight. It felt serene and almost surreal — the perfect close to an already perfect evening.
Their cinematic proposal at Terramar Point ended with laughter, wet feet, and two hearts full of excitement for the future. What made this evening unforgettable wasn’t just the location or the light or even the proposal itself — it was the way these two moved together. The softness, the trust, the genuine joy that never left their faces.
Some stories arrive suddenly, like a wave you didn’t see coming. And this proposal,this moment, was one of those stories.
Interested in having your own cinematic proposal at Terramar Point captured? Inquire here.
Interested in having your own proposal captured? Inquire here.
