Best Miami Proposal Spot: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Photography
Best Miami Proposal Spot: Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden Photography
The pure joy radiating from her face in every photo is everything. Her now fiancé proposed at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in front of Glade Lake. The mid-day sun was shining, it was mid-March on a beautiful Miami day when I saw them walking towards the lake. When he got down on one knee and opened the ring box, she freaked out. In a very enthusiastic, hands-over-mouth, I can’t-believe-it’s-happening kind of way.
Surprise proposals are hands down one of my favorite things to photograph. Sure, it’s nerve-racking (ok, probably more so for the person proposing), but my adrenaline gets going every time waiting for the moment to happen. And then witnessing it, capturing it, and feeling all the feels right along with them? I’m quite fortunate.
After he proposed, I photographed them in some of my favorite spots in the garden. The stairwell, the mists, the vine pergola, whatever happens to be flowering at the time, which in this case were these beautiful bougainvillea’s showing off with its bold pink leaves.
Some of the things I love about Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden:
- It’s pretty serene and quiet. In a big city like Miami, sometimes it’s nice to spend some time away from all the noise.
- I can easily photograph in different spots without having to deal with tons of people in the background. (Do ask ahead of time if they have an event taking place just in case and if it will impede taking photos).
- It’s huge. You can easily spend 1-2 hours exploring. For photo sessions I recommend booking at least a 1 hour session so there’s time to photograph in different areas of the garden.
- There is ample shade which means you can schedule a photo session for anytime during the hours they are open (10am-4pm). Places that are more exposed like the beach means the best time for lighting are either around sunrise or sunset.
- The photo permit fee is $100 which includes entrance for up to 3 people, which is only $25 more than the cost of admission as of writing this post in 2021 ($25 per person for regular admission x 3 = $75). They also offer a permit for up to 7 people for $200.
- It has a butterfly pavilion!
- It has a great gift shop with tons of garden/nature books, cards, etc. I bought my mom a really beautiful mug for Mother’s Day from the shop.
- It has a Glasshouse Café if you get hungry and need a quick bite to eat or a refreshing drink.
- They have lots of events throughout the year such as the International Mango Festival. They even open the garden at night on occasion!
Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is located in Coral Gables so do keep in mind that the driving time can really vary depending on where you’re coming from and when (rush hour traffic, etc.) Personally I think it’s worth the drive from South Beach / Miami Beach. Another nice spot if you want to stay on the beach is Miami Beach Botanical Garden. It’s just a lot smaller than Fairchild (they also charge a photo permit fee).
Check out all of the photo sessions at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden on the blog. Fill out the contact form to book a session or email me directly at info@tovaphotography.com, or call 305-321-3299 between 9am-7pm EST.
