NORTHERN LIGHT PROPOSAL
IN YLLÄS ÄKÄSLOMPOLO
Maxence & Raphaël
Planning with Maxence
Maxence contacted me with one dream in mind: to propose beneath the Northern Lights. He already knew that planning such an important moment around nature's unpredictable phenomena would be a challenge.
Rather than relying on the uncertainty of the aurora, I suggested a different approach. Instead of proposing at night and hoping the Northern Lights would appear, possibly ending in a huge disappointment, I encouraged him to plan the proposal during blue hour, when Lapland is bathed in its soft polar light. This way, we could create a beautiful moment we knew we could count on, while leaving the possibility of seeing the Northern lights later in the evening.
After talking through the different options, we decided the perfect cover story would be to explore Ylläs together under the pretense of a couples' photo shoot. Since Maxence was always the one behind the camera during their travels, it wasn't difficult to convince Raphaël that he simply wanted to have a few professional photos of the two of them for a change.
The plan was for Maxence to propose during the magical blue hour, before we headed into a nearby forest for a cosy campfire picnic. Afterwards, they would continue to the beautiful hotel room booked for the night, complete with floor-to-ceiling windows. If the Northern Lights decided to make an appearance, they could end their engagement day watching the aurora dance across the sky from the comfort of their bed.
The day of the proposal
I met Maxence and Raphaël at their hotel, before driving together to Äkäslompolo. From there, we set off on foot through the forest, making our way to the foot of a fell that we'd chosen.
The weather couldn't have been more beautiful. A perfectly clear sky was painted in soft shades of pink and purple as blue hour settled over the landscape. It was there, that Maxence got down on one knee. Raphaël was completely taken by surprise!
After giving them a few private moments to soak it all in, I led them to a nearby forest where we lit a cosy campfire. Wrapped in warm reindeer hides, we toasted marshmallows, sipped hot chocolate, and enjoyed local pastries while watching darkness slowly settle.
The crystal-clear sky was exactly what we had hoped for, although it came with one small catch: a brisk -25°C (-13°F). As magical as the evening was, we were all more than ready to head back to their hotel to warm up. And then, just as they settled into their room, Lapland offered one final surprise. The sky came alive. The Northern Lights began dancing overhead, filling the night with ribbons of green. After months of planning and adapting our expectations around nature's unpredictable phenomena, everything had fallen perfectly into place. From the glowing colors of blue hour to the cosy campfire, and finally the northern lights illuminating the sky outside their window, it was the kind of day you simply couldn't have dreamed better.
