A "yes" in the ruins of Santa Clara


Some proposals are planned for months. Some are planned in a handful of WhatsApp messages, a voice note or two, and one very good video call. Alejo's was a little bit of both.


He had never been to Guatemala. He didn't know the streets of Antigua, or which ruins open early, or where to take Erica for lunch after she said yes. What he did know was exactly how he wanted it to feel... quiet, intimate, and completely hers.


This is the story of how we planned it together, kept the secret all the way to the very last minute, and caught the moment the way it actually felt...

Black and white close-up of two hands gently touching, one wearing a ring and bracelet, in an intimate, romantic moment.

 

It started with a message...

 

In mid August, a DM landed in my inbox. Alejo was looking for a photographer for a proposal during their week in Guatemala. Could we work together? Of course we could.



There was just one rule: Erica could not find out!

 

Couple in light, flowing outfits walk down weathered stone steps of an ancient building under a bright blue sky with white clouds.
A couple holds hands and runs across a sunlit lawn toward historic stone ruins with arched walls and orange flowers.
Close-up of hands placing a gold diamond engagement ring on a woman's finger, with a tattoo visible on her wrist.

The discovery call

We hopped on a video call, and he shared his vision with me. Something intimate, somewhere with history, a place that felt like Guatemala.

Before photography became my full time life, I was the brand director of a travel agency focused on ethical travel. So beyond the proposal, we talked about his whole trip. Where to stay, what to see, and how to experience Guatemala in a way that gives back to the places and people you visit.

It was his first time here, and I wanted him to feel like he had a friend on the ground. ✨

Then we talked ruins. Antigua is full of them, and each one has its own personality. I shared my screen and walked him through a few options on Google Maps and photos, one by one, until we landed on the one. Santa Clara.


 

More than a photographer

 

Two people walk past a historic baroque church with an ornate facade, decorated with colorful papel picado banners in a sunny plaza.
Smiling woman in a blue striped shirt and hair bun holds a cocktail garnished with a dried orange slice to her face.

In the weeks before the trip, the questions kept coming, and I loved every one of them.


What to do in Antigua, where to eat, and where to celebrate after the "yes"!


I sent Alejo my Antigua guide with my favorite places saved on Google Maps, and for something intimate and a little fancy, I pointed him to Mesón Panza Verde and Tartines, with its view over the cathedral ruins.

Black and white interior of a ruined colonial church with tall stone arches, weathered walls, and an open roof leading to a distant altar.

 

 

Why Santa Clara


The Church and Convent of Santa Clara is one of the most beautiful ruins in Antigua, and one of my favorite places to photograph love.


Its story begins around 1700, when a small group of Poor Clare nuns arrived from Puebla, Mexico, to found a convent here. The first building fell in the earthquake of 1717, and the one you walk through today was consecrated in 1734. Then came the great earthquakes of 1773. The nuns eventually left for the new capital, and Santa Clara was left to time.


What remains covers an entire city block, right across from the Tanque La Unión park. Tall stone walls, a garden framed by old corridors, and a church nave open to the sky, where the light pours in softly through the arches. It's also the only convent in Antigua whose church facade faces inward, hidden inside the complex instead of the street. A quiet, secret kind of place. Perfect for a secret.


I love Santa Clara because it gives you so many different spaces in one visit. Inside the ruins, the light turns soft and yellow. Outside, against the old walls in the sun, every crack and texture of the stone comes alive. Then there's the garden, with a fountain right in the middle, framed by arches on every side. So much to play with in light, color, texture and perspective.

 

 

 

 

Why the morning matters


Santa Clara is a museum, not a private venue, so timing is everything. It opens at 9:00 am, and the first hour is the quietest. We planned for 9:30 am. Softer light, fewer people, and the intimacy Alejo was hoping for. Lucky us, the place ended up being completey empty for his proposal - exactly how Alejo had envisioned this moment!

 

 

THE MORNING OF

The trick with a surprise proposal in a museum is making everything feel ordinary.
Ruined colonial church interior with brick arches, weathered stone walls and an open roof letting daylight onto the worn floor.

Santa Clara charges a photography pass of Q1,000 (~$131.00 USD), paid in cash, which also includes the entrance passes for the couple. No worries there. I covered it ahead of time so the surprise could run smoothly, and I talked to reception so they were in on the secret. When Alejo and Erica walked in, the receptionist simply handed them their tickets like any other visitors. Nothing for Erica to suspect.

The museum was completely empty. A little gift.

I sent Alejo a photo of the exact spot where they would stand, with two little stick figures drawn in the middle of the nave, plus a pin and a few photos of the route so he could walk in naturally, no rushing, no looking lost. Then I climbed up to the second floor, looking down the nave toward the front of the church, and waited with my Canon RF 70 to 200mm IS lens. From up there I could capture the whole scene from above and still get close enough for every expression.

Interior of a ruined colonial cathedral with weathered brick arches, an open domed ceiling, and visitors standing in the stone-floored nave.
Black and white photo of a man kneeling on one knee proposing to a woman in a flowing white outfit beside an old stone wall.
Smiling man in a yellow shirt kneels on one knee holding up a ring in a romantic proposal inside a rustic stone building.
Woman in a white dress covers her face with tearful joy as a man in a cream shirt kneels and offers a ring in a rustic setting.
Black and white photo of two people in a warm embrace, one smiling with a hand cradling the other's head and a bracelet on the wrist.
A couple embraces and dances in the center of a weathered, sunlit stone ruin with crumbling walls and an open doorway.
Couple kissing as the man lifts the bride in a flowing white dress, in an old stone building with a dark arched doorway.
Black and white photo of a smiling woman in a white jumpsuit facing a man in a button-up shirt outside a weathered stone building.
Two people holding hands in a historic arched hall, one wearing a ring and a tattooed forearm, the other in a cream dress shirt.
A smiling couple in elegant attire dances hand in hand inside the stone ruins of a historic arched building.
Black and white close-up of a couple about to kiss, her hand with a diamond ring and floral tattoo cradling his face.

The "Yes"...


They walked in slowly, just the two of them, the whole nave of Santa Clara to themselves. Light falling through the arches. And then he was down on one knee.



What stayed with me most was how they looked at each other. Through the whole session, before and after the ring, they kept finding each other's eyes. I'll be honest, I got teary behind the camera more than once. Their personalities came through in every frame too. Lots of laughter, lots of spinning, lots of that giddy energy you only get in the first hour of being engaged.


Couple holding hands and running through the sunlit brick arches of historic colonial ruins on a warm, sunny day.
Black and white photo of a woman gently cradling a smiling man's face, her ringed hand on his cheek, in a tender romantic moment.
Couple holding hands and walking across a sunny green lawn toward historic stone ruins with arches and orange flowers.
Couple in an embrace and kiss under a bright blue sky, her hand with a ring on his face, wearing a yellow shirt and white top.
Silhouetted couple sharing a tender kiss inside the warm, golden-lit ruins of an old arched stone building with an open roof.
A couple in matching cream outfits stands hand in hand on a brick-paved path beside weathered stone ruins under a blue sky.
Black and white close-up of an engaged couple sharing an intimate moment, her hand with a diamond ring and floral tattoo cradling his face.
Couple in white walks hand in hand across a sunlit brick path past a lush green lawn and historic stone ruins with arched windows.

 

After the Yes...

 

That afternoon, a message from Alejo:


"Hey Gaby, thank you so much for today. You made everything feel very natural and we are very happy."


That's always the goal. Especially for a proposal, where one of you has no idea a camera is even there.


Two days later I sent their sneak peeks...


"Wow, they look amazing. So happy with all of them." 

The full gallery followed soon after: black and white hands and rings, spins across the stone floor, a kiss on the grass in the convent garden.


"The pictures look incredible, I'm so happy we were able to work together."


Alejo and Erica, congratulations again on stepping into this new chapter together!

 

 

Couple embracing in a sunlit stone archway of a rustic historic building, with green gardens and old walls glowing in warm golden light.
Close-up of a hand sliding a diamond engagement ring onto a woman's finger, her wrist showing a small tattoo.

Planning your own proposal in Antigua, Guatemala


If you're dreaming of asking the question here, a few things I would love for you to take from Alejo's day:


Go Early

Antigua's ruins open around 9:00 am and are at their quietest in the first hour. If your proposal is by one of the public landmarks of Antigua such as Santa Catalina Arch, aim for an early shoot as well! Softer light, fewer people, and more room to breathe!


Let the Logistics Disappear

Tickets, the exact spot, and the route in... Your photographer can handle all of it so your partner only sees a normal morning!


Share your Inspiration!

A reel, a screenshot, or a feeling. Your photographer shuld be able to support in finding the place in Antigua that matches it.


Plan the Whole Day, Not just the Moment

Book a lunch or dinner for right after so the day feels complete! I have a list of amazing and special restaurants in Antigua that you can pick from!


Planning a proposal in Antigua or Lake Atitlán?

Black and white close-up of a woman's hand with a diamond engagement ring resting on a man's shoulder as he tilts his head back.
Black and white photo of a couple in elegant attire posing on a sunlit cobblestone street beside a weathered stone wall.

Let's talk!


I'd love to hear your story and have the honor to be there to capture this special moment in your love story!


And if it's your first time in Guatemala, ask me anything about the rest of your trip. As an avid traveler myself, helping other travelers is my favorite way to give back!

Plan Your Proposal!