Stormy Surprise Beach Proposal in Encinitas, California

Man oh man, buckle up because you’re about to ugly cry at the story behind this beach proposal in Encinitas.

Their story begins in college.

At a party, Griffin was telling a looooong and confusing joke that started to clear the room…by the time he finally got to the end, Maggie was the only one left! After they graduated, they spent three years dating long distance–building their relationship over phone calls, FaceTime, and as many visits as possible to see each other. Eventually Griffin was stationed in San Diego and Maggie moved out to Encinitas not long after.

Alright…the proposal!

Griffins proposal to Maggie reminds me of that final scene in When Harry Met Sally. The one right at the end when Billy Crystal runs through New York on New Years Eve, finds Meg Ryan, and says I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Unfortunately not long after asking Maggies parents for their blessing, there was a family emergency in Griffin’s family and he needed to fly back to the east coast. Rather than put a pause on things, Griffin moved forward and decided to propose as soon as he was able to head back to Encinitas. Honestly this guy was just so ready for the rest of his life to start right now.

Griffin and I worked out every possible logistical detail so that I could sneakily photograph their engagement! He planned to propose on a cliff over the ocean at sunset…beautiful, right? Turns out, the day he was going to propose a HUGE rain storm came through San Diego and the trails to the cliffs were closed (the ONE TIME it rains here!).

This guy was not backing down. He decided he would wait only one extra day, and then rain or shine he was proposing to Maggie. Luckily the rain held off, and he proposed at Beacons Beach, one of their favorite spots. It was absolutely perfect.

Oh! And casually on the way back, Griffin mentioned that he had also booked them a surprise trip to Chicago to go visit Maggie’s friends and family. He had even secretly Facebook messaged her boss to get her vacation days approved. How amazing is that?!

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