I recently had the honor of photographing a surprise proposal in Arashiyama on an incredibly sunny and beautiful day. The weather was perfect, and the location was ideal for such a special moment.

What made this proposal even more touching was a huge surprise: both the bride-to-be’s and the groom-to-be’s families had secretly traveled to Kyoto without the bride knowing. I arrived early at the location to meet with the families and go over the plan together.

The idea was that after the proposal, the families would quietly approach the couple and surprise her again. When the couple arrived, both wearing beautiful kimonos, I began the shoot as planned. He then proposed to her in the most heartfelt way, and she was truly surprised and full of joy.

After she had a moment to process everything, I invited the couple to sit on a bench and enjoy the view. While they were relaxing, their families slowly approached from behind. She was completely shocked and started to cry tears of happiness.

Everyone looked so joyful and full of love, and I felt incredibly lucky to be part of that moment. After the surprise, we had a lively and warm photo session with both parents and the bride’s sister. Everyone was so friendly, and thanks to their warmth, I was able to photograph the session in a relaxed and happy mood.

Congratulations again to this amazing couple and your wonderful families. I absolutely loved photographing you all. I hope you’ll come back to Japan someday — I’d be thrilled to see you again.