Sunrise or Sunset
top secret locations ( x2)
A flawless surprise plan
Option to walk below the rim - distance shots
Tips and Tricks
Local area info
guaranteed 30-day turnaround
high-res downloads of all edited images
Sunrise or Sunset
A top secret location
A flawless surprise plan
Tips and Tricks
Local area info
guaranteed 30-day turnaround
high-res downloads of all edited images
$200 per photo hour
I may recommend bringing one of my trusted assistants along as a babysitter/photo assistant or dog handler . This allows us to safely photograph the children and dogs while also giving you time for engagement portraits alone maximizing photographs.
No hidden or surprise fees. Travel included
Options that include extra flex days for rain,
road closures, or unexpected changes
Location scouting based on light, season, and overall experience
Guidance with permits and marriage license logistics
Timeline construction centered around your values and priorities
Sometimes the proposal is only the beginning.
If you’re traveling through the Southwest, I often recommend pairing your surprise proposal with a **second, more intentional portrait session in another nearby location**. The proposal itself can stay completely believable and relaxed—you can wear what you would naturally wear for the day, enjoy the surprise without worrying about an outfit change, and let that moment unfold exactly as it should.
Proposals involving **immediate family**, children, or a surprise “family ambush” afterward require a **minimum 1.5-hour session**.
For larger or extended families, I almost always recommend **two hours**, particularly if you want time for family portraits, couple portraits, candid celebration, or anything additional after the proposal.
For surprise family reveals, we can also help create a little celebration afterward with things like **charcuterie, cake, champagne or sparkling beverages, bubbles, flowers, or other thoughtful details.**
If you're traveling as your own little family unit with children, I may recommend bringing one of my trusted assistants along as a **babysitter/photo assistant**. This allows us to safely photograph the children while also giving you time for engagement portraits alone without asking one parent to constantly step out of photographs.
I can't wait to love your idea and make it happen.
I am silly and genuine. I want to capture who you really are together and will guide you creating memories and moments, not stiff posing.
I will be there every step of the way, from suggesting the right permitted location for your unique elopement to creating a secret location for a quiet exchange of vow in your symbolic ceremony. I will make sure that your proposal location makes sense for the time of year and visitation flows and ensure that it is an epic surprise unfolding with a matchless backdrop.
All of my Grand Canyon clients get indepth national park information. Elopement specific info including permits, musicians, cupcakes, fur rentals and more.
Secret spots, lodging and restaurant recs, all of the current to-do's park programs and events like Grand Canyon Celebration of art and the Star Party.... AND LOTS of Grand Canyon tour guide stories, stats, geology and ecology, i just can't help myself.
EEEK! Sneak Peeks! 10 edited photos with in 48 hours (that's FAST!) 30-day full gallery turnaround. You can download high res images and I'll keep your gallery link active for 1 year.
I really want my editing to reflect HOW the day felt and looked. They will be colorful and rich. I think there is a lot of trendy editing out there and I never want you or the Grand Canyon to look muted. I strive to show all of your colors and allow the drama of sunsets and the pinks and purples of the canyon to come through in the images.
Nobody does anything great alone.
I have the most amazing connections. From musicians, videographers, private chefs, transportation and makeup gurus!
I must pause and announce the fabulous Sarah Kay who is an officiant, florist, wedding planner specializing at Grand Canyon. She is the most amazing wedding Mary Poppins and I couldn't do it without her. She uses her creativity and experience to find and highlight the points you didn't know you wanted supported.
I go above and beyond just photographing your moments. Depending on who you are and what experience you want to feel, I am going to call in my team. I am your canyon chaperone, musician talent scout, we are going to do things in a leave no trace way that fills your soul with light and love.
- Andre
Let me start off by stating, we are not people who usually leave reviews but this is one worth leaving !
Future Groom: Terri from the start was so through in helping me plan a pretty nerve racking day where usually my go to for questions and ideas would have been my gf (now Fiance) but clearly I had to find someone else. This is where Terri came in. She took the time to ask me questions about our relationship and how we met, she suggested on a place for pictures which was much better than my suggestion, she was patient and kind and most importantly she was SUPER knowledgeable and creative on how to make these pictures so stunning and candid where my Fiance can't stop looking at them. Even after the shoot and proposal she took the time to send us recommendations on what else to do while our stay at the Grand Canyon with details! She was very understanding when we showed up 20 minutes late cause the future bride took long getting ready. And she got all the pictures to us within 5 days! Def recommend 10/10
She was SUPER knowledgeable and creative on how to make these pictures so stunning and candid where my Fiance can't stop looking at them
AMy S.
LI don't know how, but Terri took quite possibly the 2 most awkward and unphotogenic people in the world, and gave us amazingly gorgeous photos!! She talked us through what was an intimidating process for us.
Terri also captured the golden hour over the Grand Canyon, with us in it, spectacularly.
We’re so happy with the photos of our engagement! They truly captured our special moment in the most beautiful way. I highly recommend Terri if you’re looking for a skilled photographer.
-Filipe Pereira
Depending on the season, I usually recommend sunset for proposals. I’ve done a ton of both and sunset seems the easier one to orchestrate but sunrise has its potential for magical photos as well. One thing I will say is, if you are NOT a morning person, I don’t recommend sunrise. For sunrise photo sessions, it’s imperative to be on time. The proposal will happen before the sun actually rises, leaving the sunrise for portraits and easier communication. It get’s bright quickly and there is nowhere to hide from the sun in the desert so usually I work quickly at sunrise. I know a few locations that keep open shade for longer than most. Sunset can be a bit easier, I use some shrubs to hide the direct sun as it’s setting and feel like it can be a bit more of a relaxed engagement session. Usually I’ll try to do two or more locations for variety in a sunset proposal shoot.
Well, luckily YOU don’t have to. I’ve lived and worked at Grand Canyon since 2009. I’m up there all the time so as visitation fluctuates seasonally and economically, I know the best spots to get away from others. However, my plan hinges on me blending in with the crowd and looking like any other tourist with a camera around my neck, so I choose locations that are still visited, have small parking lots and people that come and go but don’t stop for too long.
It’s so hard to say! Every season changes light, influx of tourism or lack of, road closures due to snow or otherwise. Some times of the year you can see the sun set over the rim of the canyon in some locations, and other times you can’t. There are a great many bends and folds at the canyon rim that sometimes obscure the sunrise or sunsetting over the rim from your view. So it would be pretty hard for you to plan this yourself but luckily, the Grand Canyon is home to me and I know every bend and fold and can help guide you in the location and the perfect plan for your surprise proposal.
At the South Rim some locations are available year-round and some are seasonal. Grand Canyon’s North Rim is only open seasonally from May-October.
South Rim locations are - Rim Worship Site, Pima Point, Grandeur Point, Shoshone Point, Moran Point and my personal favorite, Lipan Point.
North Rim locations are - Cape Royal Amphitheater and Point Imperial.
Each viewpoint has it’s own personality and some can offer a more private ceremony location than others and some are more visible by other tourists. Some locations are accessible for the winter and some are permitted for the winter but vulnerable to road closures.
I am here to guide you in making the most educated decision based on what your needs are and if you will be accommodating lots of people for the wedding or eloping, just the two of you.
Technically, weddings at Grand Canyon can be planned up to a year in advance or as little as 4 months in advance.
Right now, permits are super fast! You could probably get one for a week and a half out.
You might not need a permit at all. Symbolic ceremonies and vow renewals often don't require permitting. You can read your vows anywhere that the public is allowed or have a ceremony at a location not listed as a permitted location. You just are not allowed to legally fill out paperwork and be married at any non permitted location.
Depending on the type of marriage ceremony or elopement that you are planning, I can help wrangle and connect you to all of the appropriate vendors including catering if it’s permitted in the location that you choose.
AZ marriage licenses must be obtained though Coconino County Courthouses in Flagstaff, Page, Williams or Fredonia on the business day before the wedding is to take place.
If you are from AZ you can apply a month in advance online.
Although I am not currently advertising for family photos at Grand Canyon, occasionally I still accept family sessions, maternity sessions and senior portraits. Mostly I am working to specialize in couples photography but happy to help with other kinds of portraits when I am available. I also have an associate photographer to take on family photos when I am busy with elopements and proposals at the canyon.
If you are from AZ you can apply a month in advance online.
Though Grand Canyon is my most favorite national park an the one that I know like a friend, I have worked shooting proposals, engagements and some family photos in Arched National Park, Death Valley National Park, Grand Teton National Park. I want to try to be as green as I can and also as much of an expert as I can in one place, so I am mostly working in Arizona as a photographer and taking photos at Horseshoe Bend, Sedona, Flagstaff and Saguaro National Park.
This is where you decide that I might know what I'm doing... and you want to know more about the process of hiring me.