From Canada to Kyoto: An Intimate Proposal at Daigo-ji Temple
Umair reached out a few weeks before his trip from Canada with a clear vision in mind. He and his partner, Alvina, were heading to Japan in early July with two close friends, and somewhere along the way, he was planning to propose. Mount Fuji was the original dream, at Fujikawaguchiko, the lake, the iconic view. It's one of the most requested locations I work with, and it's easy to understand why.
But Japan, and July in particular, has a way of rewriting even the most carefully laid plans.
When nature changes everything
A typhoon was making its way toward the Kawaguchiko area right around the time of their planned shoot date. Three days out, I reached out to Umair to flag the situation and start thinking through alternatives. This is something I always try to do as early as possible, weather near Mount Fuji can be unpredictable at the best of times, and a typhoon isn't something you wait out and hope for the best with.
We talked through a few options, and Umair was open to moving the location entirely. He had Kyoto on the itinerary anyway, so shifting the proposal there made sense. I suggested Daigo-ji, one of Kyoto's most celebrated temples, and one that I thought would give him exactly what he was looking for — beauty, serenity, and enough space to find a quiet moment away from the crowd.
He was happy with the suggestion, and we agreed on it quickly. That kind of flexibility and trust from a client makes all the difference, especially when you're reworking plans under a time constraint.
Daigo-ji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest temples in Kyoto, dating back to the ninth century. It sits across several levels of grounds, each with its own character. The stone pathways, ancient pagodas, wooden structures surrounded by trees, and a stillness that feels rare for a place so historically significant. In early July, the greenery is lush and full, and the morning light through the temple grounds has a particular softness that works beautifully on camera.
Arriving before the doors open
On the day of the proposal, I arrived at Daigo-ji at around 8:40 AM, about twenty minutes before the grounds opened at 9:00. Getting there early is something I do for every proposal shoot, but for a location like this, it matters even more. The first moments after a temple opens are the quietest you'll ever find it, and I wanted to make sure everything was in position before anyone else arrived.
By the time the gates opened, I had already walked the grounds, identified the right spot, and set up. When Umair and Alvina arrived with their friends, there was barely another person in sight. The temple was almost entirely theirs.
I communicated with Umair beforehand so we could coordinate the approach without anything looking out of place. On the day, I stayed ahead of them, camera ready, blending into the surroundings as best I could while keeping my eye on the moment.
The proposal
It was a very sweet moment. Alvina had no idea, her reaction was genuine, warm, and completely unguarded. The kind of surprise that's written all over someone's face and stays there long after the initial shock has settled.
After giving them a little time to be together, I stepped in and presented Alvina with the flower bouquet we had arranged for the occasion. Her reaction to the flowers was just as lovely as the proposal itself. There's something about a bouquet in a moment like that as it adds another layer, another beat to what's already an emotional few minutes, and she was visibly happy with it.
The Photoshoot: Daigo-ji Temple, Kyoto
After the proposal, once the excitement had settled a little, we got to work on the wider shoot.
Umair and Alvina were very happy with the location, and that energy came through in the pictures. They moved through the temple naturally, pausing where things felt right, and the serenity of the place made it easy for them to relax and just be present with each other. I focused on a mix of guided poses and more candid moments between them — walking together through the grounds, stopping to look at the architecture, small interactions that didn't feel performed. That balance is always what I aim for, especially in a setting as atmospheric as this one.
What started as a Fuji proposal became a Kyoto one, and honestly, Daigo-ji delivered something that Kawaguchiko, for all its beauty, simply couldn't have offered in the same way. The intimacy of the temple at that hour, the history layered into every stone and structure.
Sometimes a change of plan turns out to be exactly the right plan.
If you're planning to propose during your time in Japan and aren't sure where to start, reach out. We'll figure out the details together; all you have to think about is the question.
