live in the moments
AGs photo art
YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.
...Let US CAPTURE
THEM FOR YOU.
I’m so happy we're working together to capture your epic surprise proposal. Part of the AGS Photo Art experience is keeping things simple and easy for each of our clients. After photographing over 300 couples, We know exactly what to provide to create a seamless proposal photography experience for you. This guide will take you through the whole process including planning, tips and tricks and preferred vendors! My hope is that this guide will give you everything you need to make this proposal the most special and memorable experience for you and your soon-to-be fiancée!
Press
RECENT PRESS
as seen in
"It is hard to put into words how incredibly wonderful our experience was working with Amandrose. She is one of the warmest, most genuine people we've had the pleasure of knowing. She's more than a photographer – she has become a friend."
- Molly & JJ
I AM A CALIFORNIA HYBRID PROPOSAL PHOTOGRAPHER: FILM AND DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
I am a California hybrid proposal photographer: film and digital photography. Each medium evokes a variety of emotions. Film makes you take in the moment and think before you click the shutter button, capturing raw emotion and movement from each of my couples. While digital captures every second of your surprise proposal. Both offer artistic shots for your proposal photography.
Besides being chronically obsessed with photographing cute couples, you can find me eating some gooey chocolate chip cookies, pinning old classic cars, and traveling the world.
Monterey, Carmel, Big Sur photographer
Amandarose Grace Szezorak
Hello, I'm
One of the most important investments you can make for your surprise proposal is deciding on a photographer who has years of experience, and has captured countless proposals. I feel honored that you have considered me to photograph this exciting moment in your lives.
As a local Monterey and Big Sur photographer, my knowledge of the area, along with years of practice make me someone you can trust to document this huge moment. I want to express an organic, timeless, and romantic style for my couples. I'll guide you in the process, so you both feel comfortable and can just enjoy your day.
My goal is to provide my couples with a proposal experience that is stress-free, fun, and in the moment. I know the best spots to propose, from the sandy beaches to the Big Sur cliffs, and I will help you every step of the way. From providing directions, to setting up a champagne picnic, I'll help you nail your proposal!
I encourage my couples to print their proposal images and to cherish them daily. I offer beautiful alums, framed prints, and more. You can swing by my cottage to see them in person.
Congratulations on this exciting time of your life - now let's get planning!
xo,
Amandrose
There are so many wonderful places in the area to propose! If you already have an idea of where you'd like to propose, that's great! If not, I have an extensive list of my favorites below!
If you need more scouting, you still have time to add that to your collection!
Locations
To perfectly capture your proposal, I will detail every part of your proposal so that there are no missed moments, reactions, or kisses!
Keep an eye out for my tips and tricks!
how to propose
I get it, you want to look sharp for this special moment in your lives. Below I'll give you some great ideas of what to wear to look absolutely picture perfect for your proposal!
And how to get your partner to dress up too!
What to wear
Once you proposal is complete, you can relax! I'll take the lead from there and we will have a blast taking photos and celebrating your engagement! This guide also gives you some great ideas for dinner, too!
celebration
the planning process
Are you ready to pop the question?
Rated "One of America's Best Beach Towns," Carmel Beach is a beautiful and iconic spot to propose to your loved one!
preferred locations
Carmel Beach
Where are you proposing?
This mile-long beach boasts of beautiful coastal views and plenty of wildlife. As a protected lagoon, this location offers plenty of space for your special moment!
Carmel River State Beach
Preferred Locations
There are so many locations at Pebble Beach and along 17 Mile Drive that would be perfect for your proposal! We can work together to find the perfect spot!
pebble beach
Preferred locations
Located along the Big Sur coastline, Garrapata State Beach boasts of long stretches of sandy beach and stunning cliffsides.
garrapata state beach
Preferred locations
Big Sur is a magical place! If you're thinking of proposing in the woods of Big Sur, reach out as there is no service and we need to plan this location carefully.
Big Sur
Preferred locations
Wineries are great locations to propose at! Great way to disguise it as a tasting and then BOOM! YOU'RE ON ONE KNEE. For locations like this recommend you reach out to the winery and ask. Each has their own fee.
I recommend reaching out to Folktale Winery!
Wineries
Preferred locations
Rated "One of America's Best Beach Towns," Carmel Beach is a beautiful and iconic spot to propose to your loved one!
preferred locations
Carmel Beach
This mile-long beach boasts of beautiful coastal views and plenty of wildlife. As a protected lagoon, this location offers plenty of space for your special moment!
Carmel River State Beach
There are so many locations at Pebble Beach and along 17 Mile Drive that would be perfect for your proposal! We can work together to find the perfect spot!
pebble beach
Located along the Big Sur coastline, Garrapata State Beach boasts of long stretches of sandy beach and stunning cliffsides.
garrapata state beach
Big Sur is a magical place! If you're thinking of proposing in the woods of Big Sur, reach out as there is no service and we need to plan this location carefully.
Big Sur
Wineries are great locations to propose at! Great way to disguise it as a tasting and then BOOM! YOU'RE ON ONE KNEE. For locations like this recommend you reach out to the winery and ask. Each has their own fee.
I recommend reaching out to Folktale Winery!
Wineries
Your proposal is a once-in-a-lifetime event and one that should be perfect and seamlessly! If you are looking vendors to perfect your proposal plan, consider booking with these vendors. Why?
1) I've personally worked with all of these people, and we work well together.
2) All of these vendors have strong morals and business ethics. Everyone is incredibly professional, and has the same end goal: to make your day perfect.
3) These people are truly talented in their areas of expertise. I've listed them in order of my recommendations. They also book out quickly, so start at the top to lock in the best people for your day!
I hope this list helps! I'm here for you along the way, not just on the day of your proposal. Reach out anytime.
P.S - when reaching out to my friend-ors, make sure you let them know I sent you! They'll take great care of you!
xo,
Amandrose
why our vendor list
why our vendor list
Fionna Floral - fionnafloral.com
Seascape Flowers - seascapeflowers.com
Big Sur Flowers - bigsurflowers.com
Fleurs Du Soleil - fleursdusoleil.com
FLORISTS
videographers
The DeLauras - thedelauras.com/
Hugo Film Co. - hugofilm.co/
planners
Pocketful of Plans - pocketfulofplans.com
Eevents & Co. - eeventsco.com
Engaged & Inspired - engagedandinspired.com
picnic
Pillows and Picnics - pillowsandpicnics.com/
What to wear: for you
to look sharp for your proposal
There is nothing that says this is a special occasion than when you wear a really nice suit.
Dress down some nice slacks with a button-up shirt for a more relaxed, semi-formal look!
For a casual, but dressed up look, try nice blue jeans with a neutral colored sweater.
What to wear: for them
so they feels beautiful and special
If you think they would love to look more formal, dressed up and elegant when being proposed to, encourage them to dress up to go out! Make them think this is a formal event so they wears their favorite outfit!
If you and your partner are an adventurous couple who loves hiking and everything nature, make the proposal adventurous, fun and unique to you two! A cute pair of leggings or sports outfit is a great choice for them.
If your partner is more casual and laid-back, a cute pair of jeans and cute top is probably the perfect pairing for your proposal. Encourage them to dress cute, but comfortable!
Bring the ring!!
Pack a bag with extra things for them!
Prepare what you want to say to your partner
Dress to impress
Empty your pockets before heading to your location
Don't forget - For you
Get her/their nails done - if they like to have them done!
Have them pack a bag too!
Encourage them to wear what you think they'd like to be proposed to in
If they like wearing make-up, encourage them to put some on too!
Don't forget - for them
Tips and Tricks
to make your proposal one to remember
When you get on one knee, stay there!
I always ask guys to stay on your knee when you propose for at least 15 seconds for many reasons! One of them being that it gives your partner the chance to realize what is actually happening and react to it! The smiles, the laughs, the crying - you definitely want your spouse to have these sweet reactions to your big question and it also gives me enough time to capture it so that you can remember the moment forever! So, plan to stay on that knee for a minute. Plan on saying your little speech about how much you love your partner and why you want to spend forever with them during this time so that they can process that you are asking them to marry you!!
After you pop the question, don't pop the bubble!
Once you've gotten on your knee, delivered your sweet speech and asked the love of your life to marry you and they say yes - pop up on your feet and revel in the moment! Hug, kiss, admire the ring! Anything that feels right in that moment. This is a huge moment in your lives, enjoy it for a moment and forget that I'm there!! You two deserve to feel all the feelings in this moment just the two of you!
okay, now you can point me out!
When you are happy and ready to further surprise your fiance, go ahead and point me out! From there, I'll introduce myself and let your partner know I've been capturing every moment of your perfect proposal and then we can relax, have fun and shoot some more dreamy and romantic photos for you to remember this very special day!
Tips and Tricks
to plan your perfect proposal
consider your partner when planning
Since your partner most likely has no idea you are planning to pop the big question, consider them when you are planning your proposal! For example, be mindful of how your partner would like to be dressed when being proposed to or where they would love to be proposed to. Not everyone will want to be in casual clothes or hiking clothes when they are getting proposed to!! So, just keep that in mind when you are planning.
Keep your pockets empty
When you get to your location for the proposal, make sure that your pockets are empty and so is your partners!! No phones, no wallets, no bulky items. This is important if you don't want bulky items sticking out of pant pockets in your pictures!
artist hand matts. select your favorite images to be hand matted and used to pop into frames or an easel to light up a room!
loose prints or matted prints are perfect for gifts, adding to a gallery wall or putting in a pop in frame.
I love these! What a fun classic way to keep your images in an accordion folio on your mantle, console table or around the house!
Full digital collection from your gallery. Gallery for one year included with download for our families.
boxed prints
Prints
Folios
Digital Collection
These hand crafted frames are stunning to enhance and focus on your art. Select modern to unique I'll help you design gallery walls to love forever.
Frames
5x5, 8x8 or 10x10! - these books and albums are the best way to showcase your session. These are our clients favorites!
Albums and books
Next step, what are you going to do with your images?
Where will they live?
The goodies
"HER ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS IMPECCABLE AND SHE WAS 3 STEPS AHEAD OF US WHEN IT CAME TO MAKING SURE SHE CAPTURED OUR DAY FULLY."
Kind Words
bo & Katie
"SHE'S BEEN THERE FROM THE BEGINNING AND COULDN'T IMAGINE THIS WITHOUT HER."
Kind Words
Kristen & Mike
two
"Amanda spoke with me on the phone multiple times and sent me an entire plan of how we could make this work. Her plan was very detailed including a map with where I should be, where my girlfriend should be, and where she would be. My now fiancé was completely surprised and was in love with all of the photos."
Kind Words
Collin & Taylor
HAVE MORE QUESTIONS? CONTACT
Amandarose
If we do a la carte and my fiance is in love with all the photos, what do I do?
My work is set apart from the industry standard because I offer a fine art degree background and a robust portfolio of work. I have over 15 years of experience photographing hundreds of couples from small intimate proposals on the coast to elaborate proposals in a museum in San Francisco.
What sets you apart From Other Photographers?
After photographing over 80 couples a year I am the original Monterey Proposal Photographer. Thats right! I've been photographing proposals in the area for over 8 years. When no one else wanted to help couples like you, I did. My collections are tailored to help you create the best experience for your person. WE WANT YOU TO HAVE THE BEST PROPOSAL! Which is why I put so much work into helping you plan this time. Check out my reviews!!
Why would we pick you?
AGS
AGS photo art
FREquently asked questions
I totally get that! If once you see the gallery and your fiance is adding images to their cart left and right let me know and we can upgrade your collection. Believe me I get it! My goal is so you can have them all!
Do you make a Proposal timeline?
Yes! Even though our time might be short and sweet, I want to help you build a timeline so we can capture as much as possible during your proposal.
do you photograph all types of couples?
YES!!!! IF YOU DON'T KNOW PLEASE KNOW THIS. I believe LOVE IS LOVE and we only work with vendors and other business who share the same business ethics that I do. We are a LGBTQIA+ friendly business
Do you photograph Multiple locations for proposals?
Of course! AGS Photo Art offers multiple proposal photography packages. You can customize if you'd like to propose in one destination and then go explore another location in full engagement bliss! It's completely up to you and the proposal experience you want to have. For Big Sur I highly recommend 2 locations!
Do you Know Big Sur Locations?
Yes! That is one of the benefits of hiring a local photographer. I've scouted for many hours to find the best locations, and I understand the light and fog in this area. Most out of town photographers don't know what they're getting themselves into!
Do I have to order prints through you?
I highly recommend ordering prints through our professional vendors, but it is not required. The difference in quality is huge when it comes to ordering through a professional lab, so I encourage clients to let us help with prints!
how do we order books or prints?
After we do your gallery reveal I'll walk you through some of our design options. If you've already ordered a book, i'll design it and we'll schedule to go over it for revisions!
"The proposal went perfectly and the photos look amazing! Amandarose made our proposal so special, our family and friends are still talking about it, and I know we will remember it for many years to come!"
