When N reached out because he wanted to propose to his girlfriend at Lake Louise, I got really excited!
I have been shooting proposals at Lake Louise for Banff Photography for about three years by then so doing one on my own was going to be really exciting.
N reached out to me a bit last minute from Illinois. He had a trip to Banff coming up and decided to propose to M during their trip. He wanted to do it either at Moraine Lake or Lake Louise but his main concern was to make it feel intimate despite the fact that those two lakes are amongst the most famous lakes in the world.
This is where you want to hire a photographer that knows the area, but not only knows it, but also knows how crowded it gets and how to avoid people even if it gets crowded. Working for Banff Photography for three years gave me all of those insight. I was at Lake Louise almost 4 days a week all summer long.
Super important tip: If you want to propose at Lake Louise, the best times are either for sunrise and 2h after sunrise (where the light is soft and less crowds) or 2h before sunset and at sunset. Anywhere between that will not give you the best experience.
Choosing the Best Spot: Lake Louise vs Moraine Lake Proposal
This one was a tough one but I helped N navigate through the decision. The main factor he decided to go with Lake Louise was the easiest accessibility. Moraine Lake requires to take a shuttle and a lot more organization (you can read about it here). He wanted to not stress about this on top of his stress to pop the question so he went with Lake Louise.
The proposal
How to naturally “meet” me and how everything is going to work is always a big question I get when I get a proposal inquiry. I always say the same thing: the more obvious it is, the less obvious it will be! People are at Lake Louise to take photos. How many people do I see taking photos of others there everyday? A LOT. Asking me to take a photo of the two of you seems too much but the reality is… EVERYONE does it. Just yesterday, I was at Two Jack Lake and a family asked me to take a photo of them.
I will tell you where exactly I will be located so we have less people passing and coming by us – the great thing about being a “Lake Louise regular” ahah.
The light was super bright already as the sunrise was past but the turquoise of the lake was even more intense. After the proposal I always do an engagement shoot. If you can do 1h instead of 30 minutes, it does really add to the experience as you won’t be rushed. It always takes a little bit for her (or him) to realize what just happened!
Looking for a Lake Louise Proposal Photographer?
Why not hire a photographer to help you with the logistics and capture that beautiful moment?
I still have some availability for proposals all around Banff and Kananaskis. If you are thinking about proposing but have so many questions about how it works, where to do it and more, don’t hesitate to reach out. I am here to help you all the steps of the way.