
By Summit & Sur
When Nirav contacted me about proposing to his then-girlfriend Rosalva (or Rose, as he calls her) in Yosemite National Park, it was just a few days before the timeframe he had in mind. Luckily for him, I was already going to be in town that weekend for an elopement and I told him that as long as we could get everything coordinated in time, I was absolutely down to help him.
In planning with Nirav, we came up with a plan to make sure that Rose was surprised when he popped the question at Taft Point. This proposal was slightly more complicated because it does require a short hike and I wanted to make sure that I wasn't spotted, as our plan involved me pretending to be a photographer for their friend's pre-wedding adventure photoshoot (it was a bit harebrained but, alas, it mostly worked).
I made sure to hike in well before they did and then was waiting in the spot we had predetermined. I pretended that their friends were waiting for them over at "the spot", just behind the rocks, and showed them where to have everyone (non-existent people) stand when they were ready. As they walked over, I readied myself for the moment and waited for them to walk out onto the ledge. After what felt like a lifetime (it wasn't, it just feel long at that moment) and lots of friendly chatter with curious onlookers, they finally walked out there and after pointing out a few spots in the valley below, Nirav dropped to one knee and asked Rose to marry him.
We all cheered from our vantage point when it was clear she had said "yes"! I walked over to meet them where they were and grab a few more photos while standing on the ledge. Once we got the shots, we moved over to a more secluded spot to celebrate with lots of photos, dancing, and even a pop of champagne. It was an absolutely perfect evening for a proposal in Yosemite!