A proposal is a magical experience, so what better place to pop the question than the ever gorgeous island of Oahu? With sandy beaches, romantic clifftops, and epic mountains, there’s no shortage of jaw dropping locations to propose on Oahu. What exactly goes into planning a proposal here, and what do you need to know beforehand? I’m glad you asked! This article is all about answering those questions so that you can plan your own proposal on the wonderful island of Oahu.

Book Your Photographer

The very first thing I want to mention as you get into planning your proposal on Oahu is that you NEED to book a local photographer. Especially for those traveling to the Hawaiian islands from out of state, having someone who’s local and knows the ins and outs of the islands is crucial to your proposal going off without a hitch. A local photographer will be able to help you plan, provide location recommendations depending on what you’re looking for, offer on the fly suggestions if things aren’t quite following the plan completely, and more! You of course can start planning and brainstorming prior to booking your photographer, but once you do book them they’ll be able to help guide you and ensure that those plans go off without a hitch. 

If you’re looking to book me for your proposal, but are looking to pop the question on a different island don’t worry as I’ve still got you covered! The Olson Productions team is present on each and every island, and will provide you with the top notch photography experience you’d expect when booking with me! Head over to our contact page to send us an inquiry so we can start planning your proposal together!

Plan Out Your Day

With booking your photographer out of the way it’s time to start planning out ALL of the details of your Oahu proposal. You only get one chance to propose, so ironing out the details prior is a must if you want things to go exactly as you envision.

Places to Propose in Oahu

As I mentioned earlier, Oahu has no shortage of incredible locations to propose throughout the island! Whether you want to propose on a secret lake with mountains looming over it, on a beach with all of your closest friends and family nearby, or atop a cliff looking out over the ocean below, the island of Oahu has you covered. Some of my favorite locations include Makapuu Lookout, and Secret Island, which we just looked at, as well as Lanikai Beach, and Kaneohe Sandbar. This list only scratches the surface of possible locations though, which just shows why hiring a local photographer with location knowledge is SO important. No matter what style and setting you’re hoping for, we’ll be able to recommend a location that fits your vision perfectly!

When Are You Proposing?

When you plan to propose is almost as important as where you plan to propose! The lighting changes dramatically throughout the day, and in turn greatly impacts the setting of your proposal. Golden hour is arguably the best in terms of lighting, you just cannot beat those Hawaiian sunrises and sunsets! I’d recommend sunrise for your session as there’s less likely to be crowds present during your proposal.

On the flipside, a proposal mid day will make the lighting a little trickier to work with, but gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of actual timing and scheduling depending on what the rest of your day consists of. As a note, the weather on the islands can be a little unpredictable. While rain storms usually pass very quickly, sometimes they stick around for longer than anticipated which can throw a wrench into your proposal plans. In that case we can either attempt a quick location change to a part of the island that isn’t being hit by rain, or make the most of the rain like we did in this proposal!

Come up with a Signal

One of the most important parts of the planning process, especially for surprise proposals, is to come up with a ruse and a signal for your Oahu proposal. A ruse is a plan to get you and the love of your life at your chosen location without them catching on that you plan to propose there. One trick my couples often use and that works very well is to book me for a “couples session”. We can take photos for your anniversary, or just to celebrate the two of you being here with one another. While your partner may be suspicious at the start of the session, as we take photos and work our way through the session with nothing really happening they’ll drop those suspicions and fully buy into the idea that this is just a regular photography session. That’s when you pop the question!

We’ll come up to the chosen location and then get ready for the proposal. I like to have some sort of signal in place so that I know when exactly to be ready for you to drop down on one knee (this part is especially important if you’re not doing a “couples session” prior and I am capturing the moment without your partner realizing I’m there). It can be something as simple as you taking a selfie together. Anything that is quick and easy to recognize so that we’re both on the same page.

Celebrate with Dinner

Of course no proposal on Oahu is complete without a celebration afterwards! You two did just get engaged after all! If you have friends and family with you on the island be sure to meet up with them for a bit to share the exciting news. You should also call and facetime any family and friends not on the island so that they can hear the news firsthand from you. After you’ve spread the news to those you care about it’s time for you two to have some time alone and celebrate this moment with each other. Go out for a nice night out and really take in all these emotions you’re feeling. It’s a one of a kind experience, so take it ALL in!

Proposals are some of the most fun and exciting sessions to photograph. There’s so much anticipation and build up that leads into them, and once the moment happens there’s an abundance of joy that I just LOVE to capture! With these steps in mind you should be well on your way to planning your proposal on Oahu without the stress of wondering exactly how this is all going to work. If you’re ready to book me and my team to capture your proposal head on over to our contact page to send us an inquiry so we can start the planning process together!