Proposal at Chateau Eza on the French Riviera

The perfect option for a proposal in the South of France?

Be aware that on the smaller balcony, where many images on this page were taken, there is a low roof which I often edit out of photographs and replace with sky during editing. I’ve been mindful to caption this in the images.

The low roof means the balcony is shielded from rain, but is a nightmare for photographers in terms of light balance (because for cameras it’s very dark on the balcony when contrasted with the bright background behind). Another potential downside is the balcony itself is small but I don't think it's too small. It would not put me off booking. It's big enough for a proposal, and for a couple to relax upon and enjoy a meal with no problems.

For the proposal itself you can treat it like a typical reservation at a restaurant (only be sure to specify the balcony for a proposal when you call!). You can access Chateau Eza's contact page here.

When you turn up, staff will note your name and, with discretion, treat you like a typical dining customer so as not to arouse suspicion. They’ll lead you down some stairs to the balcony, which will be set up according to your requests. Often people order flowers and sometimes a photographer to capture the moment. Soon after arrival and you’ve both been wowed by the view (and you will be), then people pop the question.

It's worth noting that the sun at this particular location sets sooner than it says it does online because of the sizable hill visible to the right as you look out from the balcony. This means it's not ideal for sunset proposals as the sun will be too bright before it dips down the hill (and turn people on the balcony into silhouettes).

So, if it's an evening proposal you're after and you would like it photographed, it's worth waiting for the sun to disappear over the hill so as not to disrupt images. Early afternoon proposals work well as the sea and the sky will usually be blue due to the position of the sun.

Some clients hire me to photograph just the proposal, others combine that with a small photoshoot around Eze, which can take place after the meal. Eze village is beautiful but I’m not a huge fan of photographing there as it is very busy and some patience is required to allow tourists to meander around during photoshoots. It’s not a problem as long as you have time to spare.

If you're considering a photoshoot another thing to consider is the preferences of your partner: if they're the type that would like to have advanced warning before a photoshoot, then it may be best to delay a photoshoot so they can wear their favourite outfit, arrange their hair how they like, and have some choice over location and timing. Eze is beautiful, for example, but you can never use golden-hour light there as there's no opening to the westerly skies among the narrow streets.

The image below was taken in Cannes, which is about an hour's drive from Eze village, but there are plenty of places around Nice, Antibes, and Monaco.