For his Nayara Springs surprise proposal, Zach had one very specific requirement:  Rebecca couldn’t know it was coming.

They were visiting Costa Rica from New York, staying at Nayara Springs in La Fortuna. Surrounded by tropical gardens and rainforest, the hotel offered exactly the setting Zach imagined. Somewhere private, surrounded by nature, where he could ask Rebecca to marry him without an audience.

But there was one complication. Rebecca wasn’t someone who would casually change plans just because Zach suggested taking a walk somewhere unfamiliar.

She liked knowing what was on the itinerary. A recommendation from someone at the hotel, however, was another story.

And that became the plan.

The hotel tour that wasn’t really a hotel tour

When Zach first contacted me, we discussed several locations around La Fortuna, including waterfalls, hanging bridges, and secluded natural areas.

I’d photographed an elopement at Nayara before, so I already knew some of the property’s paths and gardens. I suggested a couple of places that might work, including a quieter trail near a pond and one of the hanging bridges.

Interestingly, the hotel later recommended some of the same areas.

We decided that staying on the property made the most sense. There would be no complicated transportation, the surroundings were beautiful, and the staff could help us adapt if the weather changed.

On the afternoon of August 29, I arrived ahead of the couple. Tony, one of the hotel’s managers, took me to the agreed location where I could wait discreetly.

Then Tony went to meet Rebecca and Zach for what Rebecca believed was a hotel tour.

As they walked past my hiding place, I quietly followed at a distance. Tony stayed behind, leaving them alone as they reached the spot.

Zach got down on one knee.

And Rebecca had absolutely no idea it was coming.

The rain stopped, and everything came together

It had been raining that afternoon, which isn’t unusual around La Fortuna.

One of the reasons we’d chosen Nayara was the flexibility it offered. The property has covered areas, different paths, and several possibilities if the weather doesn’t cooperate.

But that evening, the rain stopped for our entire session.

Everything was still damp, the vegetation looked particularly rich, and the soft light after the rain gave the gardens a beautiful atmosphere.

The proposal happened exactly as Zach had hoped, privately, surrounded by nature, without Rebecca noticing the camera beforehand.

And then came the laughter.

Rebecca discovered that practically everyone involved at the hotel had known about the proposal except her. The whole operation had been happening around her, and she’d walked straight into it.

Photographs that feel like Rebecca and Zach

After the proposal, we spent some time walking through the property and taking photographs together.

Rebecca and Zach are outgoing, funny people, but like many couples, they initially felt a little awkward in front of a camera.

That’s something I never worry too much about.

We talked, laughed, explored the surroundings, and gradually the camera became less important.

Instead of arranging one embrace or kiss after another, I let their personalities lead the session. The photographs became about their expressions, the way they interacted, and the excitement of what had just happened.

I photographed everything digitally using my Leica SL3-S and a 50mm Summilux-SL lens. I particularly enjoyed the color and contrast in those conditions, with the soft evening light and deep greens of the rainforest.

The result feels natural to me. Not because there was no direction at all, but because the photographs came from spending time together rather than asking them to perform.

Why Nayara works so well for a surprise proposal

Having photographed at Nayara on previous occasions, one thing I appreciate about the property is how many different environments it offers without needing to leave the hotel.

There are tropical gardens, paths surrounded by vegetation, hanging bridges, and quieter corners where a couple can have a moment to themselves.

For a surprise proposal, that variety is especially useful.

You can plan a specific location while keeping alternatives available if it rains or the original spot isn’t suitable.

The hotel staff were also essential to making this particular proposal work. Tony helped coordinate the surprise, guided us through the logistics, and made the entire experience feel natural for Rebecca.

For anyone considering a surprise proposal in La Fortuna, my advice is to think beyond choosing a beautiful backdrop.

Think about what your partner would naturally agree to do, how you’ll arrive at the location without raising suspicion, and what happens if the weather changes.

In Rebecca and Zach’s case, a simple hotel tour was the perfect excuse.

And sometimes, the best proposal plans are the ones that don’t feel like plans at all.

EXPLORE SURPRISE PROPOSALS IN COSTA RICA ↗

A Surprise Proposal La Diosa Waterfall Nauyaca became the setting for Kimberly & Jack’s story. Jack was staying at Holos Community and wanted to propose to Kimberly somewhere they could experience the waterfall together. He also had one very specific request: he wanted the proposal photographed on 35mm film.

The Story: A Surprise Proposal La Diosa Waterfall Nauyaca

La Diosa Waterfall is inside Holos Community in Nauyaca, Pérez Zeledón, on the road toward Dominical. The property is next to the famous Nauyaca Waterfalls, surrounded by tropical forest, rocks and running water.

Jack was staying at Holos Community when he asked if I could photograph his proposal to Kimberly. He had seen my work and knew that I use film. He also loves analog photography, so he asked if it was possible to photograph the proposal on 35mm film.

It was.

Kimberly already knew the waterfall, so Jack had a natural reason to suggest going there.

His idea was simple:

“Let’s watch it one more time before we go.”

I arrived before them and pretended to be photographing birds. It gave me a reason to be there without making Kimberly suspicious.

Then something unexpected happened.

A tiger heron arrived.

That made the story even easier. I could genuinely photograph the bird while Jack and Kimberly continued toward the rocks near the waterfall.

When Jack proposed, I was already in position and photographing.

Afterwards, they laughed, and I introduced myself to Kimberly. Once the surprise was over, we spent some more time photographing them around La Diosa.

The best proposal plans are sometimes the simplest ones. There was no elaborate setup for Kimberly to notice. Jack had a reason to bring her to the waterfall, and I had a reason to be there.

The Photographer’s Perspective: Photographing a Proposal on Film

This was different from the way I normally approach a proposal.

Usually, I work with digital and film together. This time, Jack specifically wanted the proposal photographed on film. It was the first time someone had asked me to photograph a proposal using film as the main medium rather than as part of a hybrid approach.

That changes the preparation.

With film, there is no opportunity to look at the back of the camera and check whether the photograph worked. You have to understand the light, the location and the moment before it happens.

I spent time around the waterfall before Kimberly and Jack arrived, metering the area and looking at how the light was falling.

It was a sunny morning, but the waterfall was underneath the tree canopy. There was a mixture of shade and rays of sunlight coming through the trees. The light was very stable, so once I understood the exposure of the area, I knew what I was working with.

I also took a small number of digital photographs so Jack could receive a 48-hour sneak peek. The proposal itself and the rest of the session were photographed on film.

The Technical Side: Canon EOS 3, Leica M6 and Portra 400

For the film photographs, I used two cameras:

• Canon EOS 3 with a Canon 50mm f/1.2
• Leica M6 with a Leica Summarit 35mm

The film was Kodak Portra 400, and I shot two full 36-exposure rolls.

I used the camera meter and did not push the film.

Portra 400 is one of my preferred films for Costa Rica because of its ability to handle the combination of bright tropical light and deeper shade. At La Diosa, that was particularly useful because we were working beneath the forest canopy with sunlight coming through in different areas.

The negatives came back well exposed.

The film was developed and scanned in Costa Rica by Codifo Photo Lab.

For me, film is not a filter or an extra effect that gets added to a wedding or proposal. I like it because of what the medium itself brings to the photograph: the depth, color and texture.

Digital sensors can be incredibly precise. Film has a different physical quality that makes me react to the photograph immediately. It feels real in a different way.

For Jack, that was important. He already loved analog photography, and he wanted that feeling to be part of the photographs of his proposal.

An Insider’s Look at La Diosa Waterfall and Nauyaca

La Diosa Waterfall is located inside Holos Community in Nauyaca, Pérez Zeledón, on the road toward Dominical.

The location has a very different feeling from a conventional proposal setting. Instead of a designed viewpoint or a formal garden, you are surrounded by tropical forest, rocks and the sound and movement of the waterfall.

For photography, that gives you plenty to work with without needing to create a complicated setup.

The tree canopy creates shade, while openings in the forest allow sunlight to reach parts of the scene. The rocks around the water also give the couple places to move naturally after the proposal.

For a surprise proposal, the environment can also help the photographer remain unnoticed.

In this case, the bird-photography idea worked particularly well. I wasn’t simply pretending to be somewhere else. The location genuinely gave me something to photograph while waiting for Jack to make his move.

And then the tiger heron appeared.

Sometimes the best cover is something you couldn’t have planned.

A Proposal That Felt Like Them

Kimberly and Jack loved the photographs.

For Jack, the photographs looked the way he had imagined them. The film wasn’t something added afterwards to change the appearance of the images. It was part of what he wanted from the beginning.

That is what I like about this story.

The proposal wasn’t built around photography. It was built around a place they already knew, a simple excuse to visit it one more time, and a plan that allowed Kimberly to experience the moment without knowing what was coming.

The 35mm film simply became the way we preserved it. For a very different approach in the Arenal rainforest, see Rebecca and Zach’s surprise proposal at Nayara Springs, where a discreet hotel tour made the surprise possible.

Ready to Plan Your Costa Rica Proposal?

If you’re planning a surprise proposal in Costa Rica and want the photography to feel connected to the place, the experience and the people involved, I’d love to hear what you’re planning.