Viet + Christine | Pictured Rocks Proposal at Grand Portal Point

Some experiences are built around a single moment, some are shaped by the time you give them. When Viet and I first talked, he knew one thing - he wanted it to be adventurous and wild. Mosquito Falls/Chapel Rock Loop had been on my list to complete for a while, and as soon as he told me that I knew it was the spot. Grand Portal Point would be perfect. The forest, the cliffs, Lake Superior below.

I headed out a little before sunrise to wait for them there, allowing them time to soak in the hike and truly live the experience together without feeling watched or rushed. When they reached the spot, clear skies and the lake stretching the horizon below, they stepped out towards the cliff and he got down on the knee, where she said yes.

After some time to celebrate and embrace the moment, we continued on finishing the loop together. We stopped for photos along the way, the light shifting along the cliffs, the scenery opening up and shifting with our movements. Everything from the weather to the moment was perfect for a late October day.

This is what planning an unhurried, intentional proposal shaped by the place as much as the moment feels like. You don’t have to make an elaborate moment to make it big. Northern Michigan & the Upper Peninsula have a way of doing that; slowing you down, guiding the moment in a quiet way to lead you right where you wanted to be.

If you’re dreaming of planning a proposal that feels more like experience than a planned second. Where you can slow down and let the moment unfold naturally, we know so many places that can lead you there.