As a photographer, I’m an absolute sucker for surprise proposals! Capturing the precious moment when a couple takes the next step towards their forever life together is such a magical experience that I am always grateful to be part of. And it was no different with Shaya and Lina’s sunset boat proposal in Honolulu. On arrival, Lina had no idea what was about to happen and that just made it all the more special. It felt like time stopped while Shaya got down on one knee. The mesmerizing sunset on the horizon was certainly a stunning backdrop for this special couple’s once-in-a-lifetime memory.

Shaya’s Sunset Boat Proposal On Honolulu

Shaya and Lina’s proposal story is the stuff romantic movies are made of. They have come a long way from the moment they met while Lina was in law school all the way through to their romantic sunset proposal. Shaya loves to crack jokes and make people laugh, so when it came time for him to pop the question, he knew that it had to be done with style and a sense of humor too. And it was a success – Lina was totally surprised. 

Shaya wanted to do something truly special for Lina, so he planned an unforgettable proposal, one that involved a private 50-foot yacht. Trying to keep the surprise from Lina and make sure everything went off without a hitch was no easy feat! Who would ever suspect that there was an elegant harpist purposely blending in with the crew and a professional photographer (me!) pretending to shoot social media for the boat?! 

Beginning Of A Forever

Everything was perfect – we had two crewmen, chilling champagne, a harpist gently playing in the background, and a gorgeous sunset over the sea. There was no more perfect time for Shaya to surprise Lina with his proposal! As Shaya romantically got down on his knee and popped the question, Lina had happy tears streaming down her face. Her heartfelt ‘yes!’ brought cheers from all of us.  And seeing Lina’s face light up with surprise and joy made all the suspense and secret-keeping for the perfect surprise proposal moment totally worth it.  In all of the excitement, Shaya almost fell off the boat right after the proposal.

With a live harpist playing music and whales jumping out of the water against the backdrop of a beautiful pink and orange sky, the lovely proposal setting couldn’t have been more perfect! For their couple’s portraits, Shaya and Lina were smiling ear to ear, romantically posing on the yacht. They were so much fun and natural and required minimal posing from my side. The golden hour sky set a perfect backdrop for two deeply romantic hearts basking in the glory of a shared moment. I absolutely loved capturing their smiles and joy and this proposal is truly one of those unique experiences that will stay in my heart forever. 

Document Your Special Moments With Sky and Reef Photography

Congratulations, Shaya and Lina! It was delightful getting to know you both and photographing your special moment. A special thanks to our crew at the Honolulu Sailing Company for all of their support and service. I wish you both a wonderful life ahead and look forward to documenting your future relationship milestones too! 

Are you thinking about popping the question to your significant other? I’d be more than happy to document your celebration in a way that is one-of-a-kind! In addition to proposal and engagement photos, I also photograph weddings, holiday pictures, and family portraits. To get in touch with me, you can drop me an email or call me at 808-688-3396. To check out more of my photography, you can head to my website, Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.

Featured Hawaii Vendors Shout-Out!

50″ Tefiti Private Yacht charter through Honolulu Sailing Company

Musician/Harpist: John-Paul Brabant