Donald suggested they go on a walk near the bay, and when he got to Crissy Field, he dropped to one knee and presented her with a stunning Howard Engle ring.

She could barely contain her excitement as she exclaimed, “Yes!”

Behind their romantic proposal is a truly sweet modern love story!

How They Met:

Donald opted for the Picturesque Park Proposal Package so that after he proposed, they could enjoy the view and share a toast!

Donald was about to stop online dating for good; growing tired of the same worn-out small talk passed through the screen.

Where are you from? What do you do?

Summer had caught his attention in February of 2015, but he often took a long time to respond to her messages because he had already decided that the internet dating scene wasn’t quite for him.

So when Summer suggested they meet up the following Wednesday, he was happily surprised.

The day they agreed to meet in their hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina, a rare snowstorm was expected to touch down.  Summer, a Florida native, was nervous to drive in the snow.

Sensing her anticipation over a phone call to confirm their plans, Donald, a seasoned four-wheel-driver, offered to meet her at a restaurant nearby her house and end the date as soon as the snow began to fall.

“I felt so at ease talking with him and was anxious to meet the man who seemed so aloof in our past conversations,” said Summer.  “The moment I walked into the restaurant, he stood up to greet me and I knew there was something different about him.”

She was drawn in by his dark hair and his eyes, and charmed by his incredible manners and gorgeous smile.  She loved that he made her feel like a lady.

He immediately fell for her smile and the way she walked.

“It made my heart drop, and still does,” he gushed.

They had an incredible date, with conversation flowing easily between them.  Summer was impressed by how he immediately started asking her important questions— about her family, her life in North Carolina and what her ‘deal breakers’ were.

Donald was totally entranced, and didn’t want the date to end, but noticed the snow beginning to fall outside.

“He said, ‘Ok, I don’t want to scare you, but it’s snowing outside. Go ahead and go and I’ll take care of everything,’” Summer recalled.

“I told her not to worry, we would do a real date.  I just wanted her to get home safe so I could see her again,” Donald added.

How They Knew

Donald had two definitive moments where he knew Summer was The One.  The first was when he was sick and she took care of him, and he realized she loved him even when he wasn’t invincible. 

The second was when he saw her around her family, especially her nephew.  Her caring nature and her way with children made him realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.

Summer said she usually has a four-night-a-week maximum rule for spending time with people she dates.  But she couldn’t stick to her guidelines when she started dating Donald.  On their third date, she already knew that he was the one— and each moment they spent together since only confirmed her initial beliefs.

The Proposal

Summer’s late father’s cufflinks and money clip, and her new engagement ring.

Donald’s proposal was as romantic as it was thoughtful.  He reached out to Summer’s mother to have her send her late father’s cufflinks and money clip, which he wore the day of to symbolize his presence when he asked Summer for her hand.

He also reached out to her best friend, Amanda, to brainstorm ideas that would make the day extra special.  He opted for a picturesque picnic proposal with a view, and reached out to Paparazzi Proposals to make sure their whole proposal was discreetly captured for them to remember for years to come!

After she said yes, the pair posed for some incredible portrait photos and popped a bottle of champagne to share a toast.  See their full photo slideshow, here.

Does this romantic proposal have you inspired?  Check out more San Francisco surprise engagement photography by Paparazzi Proposals.  Or, contact us today for a free consultation with one of our proposal experts.  We’re ready to help you plan and capture your dream proposal in San Francisco and beyond.  Our proposal experts can help you with everything from initial ideas to the thorough logistics of your perfect proposal plan!

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How They Met:

David asked Sophie to marry him the instant they met, three years ago at a San Francisco bar.

David booked the Picturesque Park Proposal package and added a musician to serenade them with their favorite song after he popped the question.

David was sitting and chatting with friends when he saw her approach out of the corner of his eye.  Their groups of friends were chatting.  He immediately thought she was the most beautiful person that he had ever seen, and was determined to start a conversation with her.

So he got creative.

“I decided to move from the standard pick up lines and exploit the fact that I was a foreigner, selling the idea by letting her know if she’d become Irish and I’d become American,” David explained.

She accepted, and they spent the rest of the night planning their fictional wedding, a telltale sign of events to come!

“It probably seemed super weird to everyone, but it’s a funny story now that we are wedding planning for real.”

She was immediately drawn to his height and his Irish accent.  He was attracted to her beauty and was charmed by the ease of their conversation.  Despite just meeting each other, there were no awkward silences or lulls when they spoke.

“It was like meeting an old friend after many years,” he revealed.

How They Knew:

For David, the connection was instant. 

He says he knew it the very night they met that they had a future together and was planning to ask her on a date, “After the appropriate amount of time (to appear like I was much cooler than I am),” he joked.

Sophie says there wasn’t a specific time that she knew she had found The One.  But the more time they spent together, the more it became apparent that they were meant to be.

“I can’t imagine what my life would be like without him,” she gushed.

The Marriage Proposal:

When David was ready to pop the question, he wanted everything to be perfect. 

He carefully selected the location based on Sophie’s love of the Golden Gate Bridge, and the good times they shared.

He chose Crissy Field as the location of his San Francisco marriage proposal because it was a place where the couple often went for strolls and caught up after a busy week.

“I knew that proposing here meant that when we go on our weekend walks, we can look over at the spot where it happened and remember the good memories created on that day,” he said.

He reached out to Paparazzi Proposals to make sure that a blanket, chilled champagne and a dozen roses were laid out at the picture perfect spot on the shore, with sweeping views of the Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.

David knew that Sophie loved her grandmother’s ring, and wanted to include it his proposal while still giving Sophie something that was all her own.  So he used the diamond from the ring in a new setting designed especially with Sophie in mind, from  Hollingsworth in Petaluma, California.

He made sure that all of their proposal day, from their stroll down the beach to the genuine look of happy surprise on Sophie’s face when he presented her with an engagement ring, was captured with surprise engagement photography!

View the couple’s full photo slideshow for more incredible photos of the big moment.

Ready to plan your own San Francisco marriage proposal? Contact us for a free consultation with one of our proposal experts.

Need some more inspiration? Check out some other San Francisco proposals we have planned and captured with surprise engagement photography!  Or, if you’re looking for the picture perfect spot to pop the question, check out the best places in San Francisco for proposal photography.  Paparazzi Proposals is the nation’s leading proposal planning and surprise engagement photography company.  We specialize in taking the stress out of your proposal day so that all you have to to is enjoy the moment while we capture it with gorgeous photos so you can remember the day for years to come. 

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