An Amara Resort Sedona Proposal and Cathedral Rock Hike

The Amara Resort in Sedona doubles as a great backdrop for your special moments—like a proposal—and of course, a place to rest your head before a hike up to Cathedral Rock. Travis reached out to me from Australia, as he had won a sweepstakes to travel wherever he wanted from an Australian airline, and he chose Sedona. He would tell Alyse he was going to the gym in order to meet with me on Zoom via his car, and it would be nearing evening time for me. We had fun planning his proposal and making it work to not drop a single hint to Alyse!

The Amara Resort worked with Travis to lay out rose petals for not only his proposal spot, but also for their hotel room with celebratory champagne to follow. They were a great resort to work with and kept everything under wraps. Travis wanted Alyse to be able to dress up for their proposal, but also wanted to have an adventurous hike in Sedona for epic backdrops. Which is totally fair, it’s Sedona and a proposal! The way to get the best of both worlds is to book a next-day adventure session. We did 30-minutes of photo coverage to purely capture the surprising moment, some shots by the creek, and then an 1.5-hour session for a Cathedral Rock Hike the next morning. This allowed for them to have dinner at the resort together all dolled up, to take in the moment just the two of them, and then prepare for an epic hike the next day. It’s a perfect combination in my opinion.

And just like that…we woke up before the sun rose and headed to Cathedral Rock.

Cathedral Rock has its own challenges when it comes to its popularity, parking/shuttle, and timing. I always give my clients all the options and what their outcomes will be experience and photo wise. The timing chosen allowed for more intimate moments and epic lighting show thrown against the rock walls.

I love seeing my clients get down and dirty with the adventure; throwing off the hiking boots and walking barefoot on the rocks in order to safely change into picturesque shoes. I also love when they keep their hiking boots on for shots since it’s how it truly got them to this point. Genuine!

On top of giving options, I always provide my clients with a Cathedral Rock guide in order to thoughtfully prepare them for the hike, and all the necessities they will need for the adventure. It helps make a great experience for all and not to sweat the small things. Cathedral Rock is truly my favorite spot in Sedona for its views and the epic vantage point it provides for photo sessions. Cheers to Travis + Alyse!