Summer Sunrise Proposal at Lake Minnewanka, Banff
The photos from this sunrise proposal at Lake Minnewanka are undoubtedly some of my favourites ever. The conditions were perfect, with a thin layer of morning mist rising in the mountains behind, and soft, golden morning light flooding the valley.
But this was also without doubt, one of my scariest proposals ever, and thanks to something completely unexpected, it came very close to going horribly wrong!
It was also a lesson in always being extra prepared for proposals, because they’re fraught with unknowns.
Here are the photos from that epic sunrise proposal at Lake Minnewanka, as well as a few shots from Vermillion Lakes and Two Jack Lake, but feel free to skip to the end if you’d like to read the full write up!
Thanks C and M for being such amazing clients, and a huge congratulations! Also, thank you to Flytographer for connecting us!
Why is Lake Minnewanka is great sunrise proposal location in Banff?
Lake Minnewanka is one of my favourite locations for a sunrise proposal. While other locations are flooded with sunrise photographers and tourists even before the sun rises, Lake Minnewanka always seems to be virtually empty at that hour.
I mean, most people might have just enough energy for a couple of Banff sunrises, and Lake Minnewanka rarely makes the cut.
Which is why I absolutely love it for sunrise proposals.
It also has a beautiful, wide valley that, during the summer months, allows the sun to peak over the mountains much earlier than most other locations that are crowded in by the mountains. That means you can have that amazing direct, golden morning light that you usually can’t find in Banff unless you’re sat on top of a mountain.
Disaster
Sunrise was at around 6.15am in Banff that morning, and as Lake Minnewanka is one of the least busy ‘popular spots’ in Banff, I was quite confident that my normal spot would be free, barring maybe a couple of landscape photographers skulking about.
I arrived 30 minutes early, as I normally do for proposals, and headed to our planned proposal location. I always try to make sure I’m there well before my clients in case they’re extremely early (which has happened to me before!).
I grabbed all my gear, set off towards the location and just as I turned the last corner, my jaw hit the floor.
Uh oh! Ahead of me, on the exact rock we’d picked out for our proposal, stood a crew of about 20 people!
Why is this happening to me right now?!
It turned out that someone else had planned a sunrise photoshoot that morning; Helly Hansen.
And not just a small shoot at that. A full, professional, commercial photoshoot with several models, enormous grey backdrops, lights, support crews, outfit changes, the works. The area was littered with people, boxes, tables and equipment. I wish I’d taken a photo.
So with 20 minutes before the client and his entire family arrived, I started to panic a little. There were 2 problems:
We’d chosen sunrise for good lighting, yes, but also because nobody wants an audience when they’re proposing. This was very definitely an audience. They also didn’t look like they were leaving any time soon.
They were stood on the exact rock we were aiming for!
Normally, at different times of year, this would have been a huge problem.
The water level at Lake Minnewanka rises and falls significantly throughout the year, and for most of the year, this would have been the only option for us. Any other time of year and we would have been screwed.
Some clients are absolute gems
Thankfully though, we’d caught Minnewanka at a particularly low time of year, so there were actually several other great rocks to choose from in the area. The only downside was that it was going to happen right next to the other shoot.
I hesitantly shot my client a text and prayed that he could see it and respond. Amazingly, he was still up for it, and we hatched a new plan. I was amazed how easily C took it in his stride.
Robbed of my usual perch, I had to improvise and told C I’d sit on the ground and point my body at the rock he’d use to propose. It was a bit weird, and got me a few funny looks from the Helly Hansen crew, but we had to make do!
Ten minutes later, the light was absolutely perfect, and C finally arrived on the scene with his family. Without hesitation, he strolled over to the backup rock as his family subtly hung back.
Cue the most epic proposal I’ve ever witnessed, and some of my favourite photos ever!
This proposal was a great reminder that absolutely anything can happen with a proposal, and another reminder to expect the unexpected!
Contact me!
If you’re thinking about proposing in Banff, eloping in Banff or just would like some beautiful pictures as a reminder of your vacation, get in touch and let’s see how we can work together! Click here to fill out my contact form
