That Viral TikTok Beach Proposal at El Matador Beach | Sasha + Athena

Couples

May 5

Photographing Sasha and Athena’s proposal in the early-morning hours at El Matador Beach in Malibu was an absolute joy and one of the greatest moments of 2022 so far for me. Sasha’s careful planning, patience, and care led to a beautiful surprise engagement in the early morning hours at El Matador Beach in Malibu, California.

The story began a year ago, when Sasha decided to propose. She and Athena planned a vacation to California, a place Athena had never been and had always wanted to visit. And about a month before the trip, to my great joy, Sasha got in touch with me and brought me into their story.

To pull off the surprise, Sasha told Athena that she’d hired a photographer for a couple’s session. We scheduled our session for sunrise on their first full day in California at the iconic, rocky El Matador Beach.

El Matador Beach, Malibu, California

With a rugged coastline, majestic rock formations, and golden sand, El Matador Beach is one of my favorite places in Southern California to suggest for a beach proposal. Especially at sunrise, this hidden gem is super intimate, cinematic, and romantic. There are many beautiful beaches in Los Angeles and Orange County, but with its sea caves and towering rocks, the scenery at El Matador just has that extra little sense of adventure that makes it unique.

Couples Portraits at El Matador

When Athena and Sasha arrived, we began the session as I would any normal couples session (which is what Athena thought this was). I guided them through prompts intended to capture their connection and love.

The Proposal

Once we got into the swing of the session, I posed the couple back to back, holding hands—which Sasha knew was her cue to get the ring ready.

At that point, I asked them to step a few feet away from each other, and when I say “go,” they should turn around and pretend like it’s the first time they’ve seen each other in years.

While saying this out loud for Athena’s benefit, Sasha got down on one knee. And then, Athena turned around.

AND THE SHE SAID YES!!! 🥂🎊

☼

AND THEN IT WENT VIRAL.

Athena and Sasha’s moment has touched the lives of people around the world. Their proposal has gone viral on both Instagram and TikTok, garnering millions of views and hundreds of thousands of likes, comments, and shares and hopefully inspiring just as many.

Sasha and Athena shared with me that this was especially meaningful to them as a lesbian couple, that the beauty of their proposal story has impacted so many and reached all around the world. Hopefully, it’s made an impact and furthered the truth: LOVE IS LOVE!!!

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Excerpt from Sasha and Athena’s Testimonial

“If there was an option to leave a bajillion stars, we absolutely would. … Throughout the full photoshoot, she gave us just enough direction, and just enough freedom. She made us feel so very comfortable. The photos came natural to us, we didn’t need to force the smiles or movements. We were so nervous that we’d be awkward! Imagine meeting someone for the first time and having them capture what is quite possibly one of the core memories you and your partner will share.

Pamela treated us so great and ensured that nothing was awkward. We are so grateful that we chose her and will continue choosing her for any and every time we go back for a photoshoot.

I can truly say that from that day moving forward we’ve felt like Pamela became family. She is so kind, and her talent is absolutely UNMATCHED. Don’t even think twice about booking her for your photoshoot. In fact, you’ll probably regret it if you don’t!” (Google Review)