A Rainy Proposal That Turned Into Magic | Julia & Christoph in Playa Conchal, Costa Rica

Some stories remind me exactly why I love what I do and Julia and Christoph’s proposal was one of them.

They traveled all the way from Germany to the stunning shores of Playa Conchal, in Guanacaste, with a very special plan in mind. Christoph had reached out to me before their trip to share his idea: he wanted to propose to Julia during what would seem like a regular couple’s photoshoot.

For me, being trusted with moments like this is always an honor. These are not just photos they are once-in-a-lifetime memories.

We carefully planned everything. The idea was simple but meaningful: during the session, I would guide them into a pose where they stood back-to-back and slowly walked away from each other. That would be Christoph’s signal the moment he would get down on one knee.

Everything was ready.

But nature had other plans.

We were right in the middle of rainy season, and on the last day of their stay, it didn’t stop raining. I arrived at the meeting point, watching the rain fall nonstop, wondering if we would even be able to start.

That’s when Christoph said something I won’t forget:"Carlos, can we start? No matter what, I want this to happen today."

So we went for it.

We start at the beach club, waiting for the rain to stop.

With an umbrella tucked inside my backpack, we walked toward the beach, fully prepared to embrace the rain. But the moment we stepped onto the sand, something incredible happened the rain stopped.

Not just that… the beach was completely empty. It felt like the entire place had been reserved just for them.

We began the session, following the plan we had envisioned. And then, the moment arrived.

Christoph dropped to one knee.

Julia said yes.

And there I was, camera in hand, capturing one of the most important moments of their lives—the emotion, the surprise, the love, everything exactly as it unfolded.

Experiences like this remind me that sometimes the best moments come when things don’t go according to plan.

Julia and Christoph, thank you for trusting me, for embracing the unexpected, and for choosing to take this beautiful step together rain or shine.