Two Romantic Dubai Proposals, Captured by Chandan Sojitra

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we are expecting lots of romantic proposals around the corner! And if you are preparing to propose to the love of your life this Valentine’s Day, be sure to capture the magical moment with the help of a professional photographer.

This week, we caught up with Chandan Sojitra, a favourite in the wedding/event photography industry. Renowned for his relaxed, unobtrusive documentary style, Chandan prefers to shoot the event as it naturally unfolds, capturing the essence of the occasion discreetly and sensitively so you’ll never feel posed or awkward!

Chandan has photographed many engagements throughout his career, but here two Dubai proposals he had the pleasure of captured recently, in his own words…

Jasmine & Raj

Raj came out to visit his girlfriend Jasmine, who lives and works in Dubai. He had been in contact with me a few months before and said that he wanted to use the opportunity to pop the question. He told me how much she loved nature and the outdoors, and since he was on the other side of the world, I helped him plan the perfect proposal.

We chose to opt for The Farm, Al Barari as the venue. Raj mentioned that Jasmine was a bit shy so we decided to keep it intimate and booked the footbridge over the pond for the proposal. Colourful rose petals were provided by Iris & May Florists to cover the floor of the bridge and we printed photos of the couple from dates over the years since they’d been together and hung this on a string on the bridge.

I was hiding behind some bushes while they walk to the footbridge and jumped out when their backs were turned! I made sure I was in a perfect position as soon as Raj went down on one knee to pop the question.

As Jasmine was soaking up the moment and with her eyes closed, I pulled out surprise number 2 and handed Raj a stunning bouquet of lilies for him to give to Jasmine. Lilies are her favourite flower – he knows her all too well!

We went off to take some couples portraits to make use of the stunning views at The Farm, and meanwhile, another surprise was being set up. Jasmine thought they were just going to head over to a table for dinner, but she later found out that it would be no ordinary table.

A table for two was set up on the bridge on top of the floor full of roses. The table setup was kept simple with a small tabletop vase with some red lilies inside. A private butler made sure everything was perfect while they enjoyed their sunset dinner and soaked up the wonderful feeling of being newly engaged…it was all too perfect!

Rima & Sunny

Sunny and Rima were Holidaying in Dubai from New Jersey. Sunny had contacted me a few weeks earlier and said he was planning to propose to Rima, and I was more than happy to assist!

They were staying at The Palace Hotel Downtown and they both loved the view of the Burj Khalifa. He wanted to keep the proposal simple but capturing the moment perfectly was important for him.

To avoid raising any suspicions, he pretended he had booked a couples photoshoot session around Downtown before they head for a romantic dinner.

We planned out which walking route they’d take and with the power of WhatsApp messaging, he told me when they were leaving their hotel to propose. I was stood opposite the proposal spot pretending to be a tourist taking photos of the Burj Khalifa.

At the end of the walkway by the water, Sunny got down on one knee and proposed. I was able to capture the special moment beautifully. We then did a quick couples photo session and said I’d follow them to their restaurant and take a few photos inside for their memories.

This is where Sunny revealed surprise no.2 to Rima. A table at the back had been booked with rose petals scattered around and a celebration cake. It was a simple yet sweet proposal that worked out perfectly.