Chad’s family has a place in Utah near the Jordanelle Reservoir, and he told me he was bringing his girlfriend, Krista, to Park City for a ski trip and wanted to propose while they were here. Winter proposals in Park City are always a good idea — snow, mountains, cozy dinners afterward — and the Jordanelle is an especially beautiful spot since it sits between Deer Valley and Heber and has that wide-open winter landscape.

They were staying just a few minutes from our planned location, but getting Krista out the door turned into its own subplot. She didn’t know she was supposed to be anywhere before their dinner reservation, so Chad casually insisted on “going for a walk around the Jordanelle.” Later, after the ring was on her finger, she told her friends that she thought Chad was ridiculous for wanting to go on a walk in the cold for no reason.

Between that and the cold, they arrived about an hour later than planned. The sun was dropping fast and I was silently sweating behind my camera because there’s no discreet way to capture a candid proposal with flash. Thankfully, Chad popped the question with just enough golden winter light left to see the mountains, the lake, and Krista’s reaction.

I’m not sure she ever technically said “yes” — she just started punching Chad in disbelief, which felt like an enthusiastic enough answer.

If you’re planning a destination proposal in Park City, you can see more location ideas and inspiration here. I also wrote a blog with tips for getting great proposal photos here — super helpful if you’re planning one.