Elroy Proposes to Jean under the Cherry Blossoms on Jeju Island

That magical week of the year when we see the cherry blossoms in bloom is a popular one here in Korea. Elroy was one of the super lucky people this year who timed his session absolutely perfectly! With a bed of rapeseed flowers and a canopy of fully-bloomed cherry blossoms, this proposal really could not have gone better!

We had been discussing this for quite some time and locked in a date that would work for Elroy and Jean to be at this spot at a specific time. However, what we couldn’t plan was whether or not the cherry blossoms would be in bloom. We wouldn’t know that until the day before when I touched down in Jeju. You see, the cherry blossoms come and go in a matter of just a few days, so there’s really no way to know until you’re actually there.

In the days leading up to our shoot, I was periodically checking some hashtags on Instagram to see what the locals were uploading and it was starting to look good as our shoot approached. The blossoms looked like they would be out, the weather forecast looked good, and we’d (of course) chosen a weekday so the crowds would be less intense.

The moment I touched down on Jeju, I drove straight over to check the status of the blossoms. Our initial spot was packed with people and cars were being told to move on by local officials. So, I drove up and down the 5 kilometre stretch of blooms looking for a spot we could be relatively alone in and quickly confirmed that Elroy was okay with it. Thankfully, he loved it and chose his favourite spot from some samples I sent over.

As soon as I had confirmation, I sped (figuratively, not literally) back to my hotel to produce a guide ready for his shoot the next day. As always, I provided driving directions as well as potential parking locations and then finally walking directions to where the proposal would take place. Preparations were done and it was just a case of waiting for Elroy to arrive on Jeju.

The following day, I got to the location a couple of hours in advance to make sure I could park and update Elroy on any changes to the location, crowds, or backup plans we might need to put in place. Thankfully, things looked great and all he would need to do would be to wait for a gap in the crowds and walk over with Jean not suspecting a thing!

Just like that, it was go time. I got a text saying that they were parking and would be there within a minute or two. I placed the bouquet he had requested, quietly asked some nearby people if they could vacate the area for a few minutes, and checked my cameras one last time. The couple walked into the scene, Jean was sufficiently surprised, and I captured every last moment for them.

We then spent the next 30 minutes, as the sun began to set, getting some beautiful images of their first moments together as an engaged couple.

A big thanks to Elory and Jean again for allowing me to be a part of this special day. For anyone looking to capture their own proposal with these beautiful flowers, get in touch early to discuss what might be possible. I’d love to make it happen for you!