Early Morning Proposal in Uji During Sakura Season

Apr 24

When people think of Uji, matcha often comes to mind first. This city in Kyoto is renowned as the birthplace of premium Japanese matcha, so it’s no surprise. However, there’s more to Uji than its green tea farms.

The area is also home to numerous temples and shrines, including the world heritage Byodoin Temple, a Buddhist temple known for its Phoenix Hall and stunning gardens.

Michael was planning to propose to his girlfriend during their day trip to Uji and preferred a location close to Byodoin. He reached out to me, booked a package that included a static video add-on, and asked for my suggestions.

I gave him two options, and he chose the one near the community center by Byodoin. Upon confirmation, we started planning right away.

Since this was a surprise proposal, we had to consider a few factors to pull it off smoothly. We decided on an early start, as the proposal fell on a Sunday during cherry blossom season, which usually brings in crowds. We agreed to begin at around 5:30 AM.

On the day itself, my associate, Leena Balanag, was there to capture everything. She arrived at the location early and shared her live location with Michael via WhatsApp for coordination. She even sat on the bench ahead of time, posing as a tourist, to reserve the spot for the couple.

That bench turned out to be the perfect spot. It was positioned right under cherry blossom trees, which made the scene even more beautiful.

Michael proposed to Tiffany, and Leena was able to capture the moment beautifully. The proposal was calm, scenic, and uninterrupted, it felt like they had the place to themselves.