7 Great San Diego Proposal Locations

Choosing a great San Diego proposal site can be difficult! Our county truly is one of the most beautiful cities in the nation. I am so blessed to have been born and raised her and now to be able to photograph here as well! Sometimes when there are so many beautiful places, choosing your favorite can be quite difficult. Also, if you are trying to find a beautiful location to propose to your loved one, this even adds to the stress.

With that in mind, I have chosen to highlight seven of my favorite locations in our wonderful county. These are not just wonderful for portrait sessions like engagements, but they can also be a wonderful spot for a San Diego proposal. With ten years of photography experience, I am happy to share throughout this blog post the pros and cons of each of these locations. I hope that this helps in your search for the perfect place to propose!

The Cliffs in La Jolla

I would say that the cliffs in La Jolla are probably one of the most popular places for a San Diego proposal. With the spectacular views and the turquoise waters, it’s not a surprise! Since there is a decent amount of coastline, you can find numerous places to have some privacy. Sunset here is stunning and “golden hour” truly is GOLDEN. This is a tricky location to photograph, but when it comes to romance, you can’t beat it.

It might be near impossible to be COMPLETELY secluded from other people at this location but you might get some cheering when people see you down on one knee!

There are several ways to get down to the sand below the cliffs and can be a more secluded location than the cliffs. Just make sure to check the tidal charts because at high tide most of the beach disappears.

If this seems like the perfect location for your proposal, look through some more images in these blog posts from the La Jolla Cliffs.

The Scripps Pier in La Jolla

There is no other location in San Diego with this type of beautifully framed background. There are other piers, but none that are this color, with this height. Since this is the case, this area is popular with photographers, tourists and locals. This would be a better place to propose during the week to cut down on the traffic.

To the north of the pier are beautiful golden cliffs. This is much more secluded place and would be perfect for a San Diego proposal.

Proposing at the Scripps Pier in La Jolla would be a wonderful choice. I love shooting here as you can see in these additional images in several blogs featuring the La Jolla Cliffs and Scripps Pier.

Sweetwater Summit Regional Park

This Park is so beautiful throughout most of the year but Spring and Fall are the most peek times. You have to park in the lower area of the park and then walk a bit to get to this beautiful location. The goal is to get to the top of the hill, which is shown in the images below. However, the dry grass fields along the way are beautiful too!

These boulders are beautiful to sit on, especially with reservoir in the background. However, be careful of cactus and rattlesnakes!

This may be the perfect spot for your San Diego proposal! Just to double check that you love this location, here is a link to more blog posts featuring Sweetwater Summit Regional Park!

Sweetwater River Bridge

The Sweetwater River Bridge is one of my favorite places to shoot in San Diego. Unfortunately, most photographers have the same feelings! That means this site can get a bit crowded, especilly in the Fall. Come here during the week and you won’t find as many people.

This beautiful black steel bridge is perfect for framing a proposal. If you hire a photographer to hide and capture your time together, it would be ideal.

Like many places in San Diego, this location is most beautiful during the Spring and Fall months and would be wonderful for a San Diego proposal during that season. One of the things I love most about this site is that there is such a variety of locations! When you propose, you want some privacy, so I would recommend NOT proposing on the bridge, which is where most of the people will be. Instead, head to the large sycamore tree and the fields that surround it. Save the bridge for pictures after your proposal.

In the Spring, these fields are green and in the Fall they are golden. I prefer the Fall! Propose about an hour before sunset when the fields and the trees light up with glow!

If you can’t get to the fields an hour before sunset, take a longer walk along the trail, past the sycamore and up onto the plateau. This is beautiful too! The tall grasses are so romantic (in the opinion of this photographer) and the hills are stunning.

I have been here so frequently (because I love it), so here are some other sessions so you can see the Sweetwater River Bridge more thoroughly.

Coronado Beach

When you think about the beach in Coronado, probably the first thing that comes to mind is the Hotel del Coronado. I LOVE that hotel! However, the best place to propose in Coronado is in the sand dunes, not the hotel. The hotel draws tourists and locals alike but the sand dunes are usually devoid of people. There are so many little alcoves amongst the dunes or on top of the dunes for you to have all the privacy you need and a view of the ocean.

Having the hotel as a backdrop to your proposal is much better than being inside the hotel itself.

The most beautiful time of day to walk on the beach is literally as the sun is setting. The wet sand reflects those walking on it and everything turns a beautiful blue color. Photographers love this time too because there are no shadows on your face. If you have hired someone to secretly take images, this is something to think about.

Coronado is a wonderful place to be situated when a stunning sunset hits San Diego! It just difficult to know when that is going to happen.

Here are some blogs to peruse featuring the beach in Coronasdo to see if it is the perfect place for your San Diego proposal.

Morrison Pond, Bonita – In the Spring

Morrison Pond is in the middle of the Sweetwater Regional Park. The parking is near the intersection of Sweetwater Road and Briarwood Road in Bonita. During most of the year this is a nice park, but nothing spectacular. However, in the Spring, the marguarite flowers explode and cover the fields in a yellow blanket. It is hard to beat this park at this time of year. So romantic!

These flowers are so stunning! When they are in full bloom they come right up to your chest. You could make a secret path through them, stomp them down, and make a little picnic area! Complete privacy!

The pond itself is small but secluded. At dusk the colors here are really lovely. You can see more of Morrison Pond and the Bonita flower fields in these blog posts.

Balboa Park

I know Balboa Park more than any other location in San Diego. It’s like my second home! There are so many places here to propose! I’ll walk you through my favorite locations. Please remember that this is one of the most iconic places in San Diego. Since that is the case, it can become extremely crowded on the weekends. Always check their calendar before you plan to propose at this location.

The Alcazar Garden is truly lovely. With a couple of fountains, flower beds and a pergola, it is very romantic. The flower beds are hit and miss, depending on what time of year you decide to propose. Obvious, the Spring is quite beautiful. They frequently change the types of flowers grown in these beds as well, so I am always surprised when I visit.

The Alcazar Gardens also have some iconic parts of park visible from inside it’s walls. Most notable is the bell tower from the Museum of Us.

Can you see why I love it here so much! What a variety! If you want to propose in front of the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet Theater, the walkways through the park, the Plaza de Panama, the Museum of Us, or the courtyard by the Old Globe, I would suggest being there at sunrise. Sorry, but it’s true. If you want privacy, that is probably your best bet. If that is not an option, then try to come during the week and not on the weekend.

However, if privacy is what you are after and you would like the bell tower in the background, the south side of the Timken Museum of Art would be perfect! Rarely have I found people in this location.

Balboa Park’s Organ Pavillion is beyond gorgeous! There are days when there are performances here, but it is rare. If you have a photographer shooting your proposal, this would be the perfect place! Iconic San Diego at it’s best…and it looks like a palace!

This is one of my hidden gems in the park and it has little traffic. This corridor is located just to the east of the Prado. When the Botanical Gardens are finished being rebuild, they will be in the background. The reflection pond is just north of this location and is beautiful but probably the MOST crowded place in the park. So, avoid the reflection pond, and choose location with perfect light and beautiful arches in the background.

Talk about romance! The rose garden is crazy beautiful at certain times of the year. I believe they trim the roses in the Winter, so this wouldn’t be a great place to propose at that time. There are not as many people here either since you have to cross the bridge over Park Boulevard.

How did I get this beautiful image in front of the reflection pond with NO PEOPLE?! We were here as the sun rose. Not joking. But it was worth it! Think how spectacular it would be to propose here?!

The courtyard in front of the Old Globe is not crowded and gives a beautiful San Diego backdrop!

This may seem strange, but the Cactus Garden is one of my favorite places to photograph in the park. It isn’t crowded, it has gorgeous glow, and you would have wonderful privacy. Again, if you have a photographer with you, this location is perfect for light.

OK, this is it! The end! The last place in the park that I would recommend is the Veterans’ Museum. I don’t think it is technically part of the park, but it is beautiful none the less! Since it is on the opposite side of Park Boulevard, it is never crowded. Also, the parking is easy!

If you choose to propose here, it would be best to do it during the week. I have shot here so many times and have many more blog posts about Balboa Park. Here they are! I would say this is my favorite location for engagement shoots and it would also be lovely for a San Diego proposal.

I hope this blog was helpful! Have you fallen in love with the perfect place to propose? If so, reach out and I would love to document your proposal in images! I have so much fun hiding in the bushes, behind columns, etc. to get the perfect shot of your special moment. After your proposal, we can have an impromptu photo shoot as well! You can get in touch with me through my website, my email at nicolereyesphotographysd@gmail.com.