A Surprise Proposal on a Cap Ferret Beach: Julie and Derek

Engagement Sessions

A marriage proposal at the end of a couple photoshoot: that had never happened to me before! And yet that is exactly what happened on 6 August 2020 in Cap Ferret. Here is the story of this romantic engagement session with Julie and Derek.

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A Surprise Proposal in Cap Ferret

Julie and Derek: meeting the couple

Julie and Derek came all the way from Ireland for this engagement session, and yet they are not Irish. Not at all! Neither of them is from Ireland, but they live there. Julie comes from the South-West of France and Derek is American. He was born in Utah, a state of the American West that I loved discovering on my trip to the United States.

Julie and Derek embracing in the evening light after the proposal

Blue water of the Arcachon Bay along a sea wall under a clear sky

Blonde woman wearing a red flower crown beneath pine branches

The couple posing beneath a twisted pine overlooking the Arcachon Bay

Chapel with red and white striped brickwork and an ornate dome under blue sky

The couple outside a beach restaurant terrace with gingham tablecloths

So I practised my English, and we got on really well as we made their couple photos.

The couple standing in the doorway of a restaurant with red check tablecloths

Portrait of the bearded man in a straw hat against a black wall

Bearded man in a straw hat smiling in front of a black wooden hut

Woman in a flower crown leaning against a wooden cabin

Smiling woman in a flower crown by a white cabin with red shutters

Derek kissing Julie's cheek beside a red and white cabin

Julie is a young woman with a real taste for art. She loves the light, the symmetry and the emotion in my images. She loves the Fine Art photography style. We were bound to get along! Derek is an incredible character. He speaks eight languages, is hungry to learn and loves architecture. For fun, he is also an MMA judge and referee. Derek also acts in films, where he is often cast as a Viking.

Blue Chemin des Crottes street sign on a grey wall beneath a wooden roof

The couple embracing in a lane of cabins beneath a vine trellis

The couple on a wooden jetty by a busy oyster hut

Derek hugging Julie from behind on a jetty by the bay

The couple posing by a wooden cabin surrounded by blue flowers

A couple photoshoot on Arcachon Bay

The couple trusted me with this engagement session and with their wedding, which finally took place in October 2021 at Château Pape Clément near Bordeaux. I was very happy to be their wedding photographer, especially after witnessing Derek’s original proposal! They are both truly lovely people, and I am grateful to them for choosing me to bear witness to their love.

their wedding

We did the first part of the photoshoot along the fishermen’s huts of Le Canon, on Arcachon Bay. Then we headed for Truc-Vert beach in Cap Ferret. That is where Derek pulled out all the stops!

Close-up of the woman's smile and gold necklace, blonde hair

Tall maritime pines in a sunlit forest by the Arcachon Bay

The couple holding hands in the middle of the pine forest

Julie playfully holding a pine cone up to Derek in the pine forest

An Unforgettable Proposal on the Beach

It all begins at the end of a sunny day on the Atlantic side of Cap Ferret. The light is romantic, as it is when the sun goes down. Its rays pierce through the maritime pines and the vegetation at the foot of the dunes. Our lovebirds walk towards the beach, and I follow them so as not to miss a single tender gesture.

Man in a straw hat laughing at a pine cone held up to his face

The couple embracing and gazing at each other among maritime pines

Portrait of the smiling woman in a red flower crown in the pine forest

Close-up of the couple cheek to cheek, eyes closed, flower crown in her hair

The smiling couple embracing at the edge of the pine forest

The couple walking hand in hand along a sandy path towards the beach

The setting and the atmosphere of a late summer’s day perfectly complete this magical moment, which Julie does not see coming.

The couple kissing on the path to the beach, sun shining through the pines

Grassy dune and ocean horizon under a pale blue sky

Julie sitting in the dune grass just before the marriage proposal

Derek walking through the dune, reaching out his hand towards Julie

Derek down on one knee in the dunes proposing to Julie

Derek opening the ring box in front of a moved Julie on the beach

A proposal in a place like this could only be a success. The softness of the light, of their gestures and of the beach’s natural setting is pure romance.

Julie beaming as she sees the ring, sitting in the dunes

The couple face to face and smiling in the dune grass

Man's hand holding the engagement ring above golden grasses

Derek holding out the engagement ring towards Julie's red-painted fingers

Julie covering her mouth, overwhelmed by the beach proposal

Derek slipping the engagement ring onto Julie's finger

The most romantic of proposals!

Close-up of the engagement ring slipped onto a finger with red nails

Ringed hand with red nails resting on a floral dress

The newly engaged couple embracing on top of the dune facing the ocean

The smiling fiancés facing each other in the dune grass

Derek walks towards Julie, kneels in front of her and holds out a little box containing the engagement ring. Julie cannot believe it! Taken by surprise, she is overwhelmed with emotion. It is a big yes, and endless tenderness for her future husband.

Julie's ringed hand on Derek's shirt, backlit by the sun

The fiancés laughing cheek to cheek in the setting sun

Julie smiling at the camera, nestled against Derek at sunset

The setting sun reflecting on the ocean waves

The fiancés strolling along the water's edge on the beach

Derek twirling Julie at the water's edge on the beach

The magic of emotions

I too was taken aback by this surprise proposal. When you photograph couples, you never quite know what to expect during the shoot. Of course, you expect beautiful glances and gestures, and the closeness between two people. That said, a proposal is a very particular emotion. Many couples prefer to experience it alone, in their own bubble, and that choice is theirs.

Derek dipping Julie back by the ocean's edge

Black and white portrait of the bearded man, his fiancée blurred behind him

Close-up of the fiancée's eye behind Derek's blurred face

Ringed hand with red nails on Derek's white shirt

Wooden boardwalk leading through the dunes towards the pine forest

As a wedding and portrait photographer in Bordeaux, I am naturally sensitive to emotion. No two photoshoots are alike, and that is why I love my job! The people I photograph give me so much; it is wonderful to be there to capture these fleeting, suspended moments.

The fiancés walking hand in hand along the dune boardwalk

Julie and Derek embracing on the boardwalk, flowers in her hair

Weathered wooden post in the foreground with blurred greenery behind

Julie and Derek, thank you for your sincerity and for sharing this with me.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where did Derek propose?

On Truc-Vert beach, on the ocean side of Cap Ferret, at sunset on 6 August 2020, after the first part of the photoshoot near the fishermen’s huts of the port of Le Canon.

Can you propose during a photoshoot?

Yes: Derek proposed as a surprise at the end of their engagement session, and Julie did not see it coming. Many couples, however, prefer to share this moment just the two of them, and that choice is theirs.

Did Julie and Derek get married?

Yes, in October 2021, at Château Pape Clément, near Bordeaux.

Planning an engagement session or a proposal in France?

I photograph engagement sessions on Arcachon Bay and at Cap Ferret, in Bordeaux and across France, and weddings too. Discover my wedding collections, or tell me about your plans.

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