A Swiss Mountain Proposal

Emma Wilson, the creative director of Story Of Your Day was contacted by a friend of this adorable couple to help plan a surprise Swiss mountain proposal last winter. With her extensive knowledge of the Swiss Alps she helped Chen Yi pull off this beautiful proposal and a day they will never forget.

A Swiss Mountain Proposal

I was first approached a month prior by their mutual friend Leanne who was helping Chen Yi to make plans for their trip to Switzerland. Leanne suggested the Jungfrau or the Matterhorn as locations that she thought would be perfect for the proposal. Having been to Zermatt to visit the Matterhorn on several occasions I knew there would be plenty of spots Chen Yi would be able to propose to Esther with the iconic peak in the background, but in the back of my mind, I also knew how busy some of these spots can get. Throwing in to the mix the unpredictable Swiss weather in December, I knew that to see either of these peaks, they would need to have a clear day. If they decided to opt for the Jungfrau, I knew the best view would not be from the Jungfraujoch as most people assume, otherwise known as the ‘Top of Europe’ but actually from my home town of Wengen.

I cunningly came up with the following scenario:
My husband would pretend to be a Swiss Tour Guide, he works for Switzerland Travel Centre so that’s not so far-fetched a story, and I would be his marketing assistant filming his tour for promotional purposes. This meant not only could I openly film around the couple but I also had an excuse to pop a microphone on Chen Yi without it looking too suspicious.

We met the group at the train station and James began ‘the guided tour’ through the village of Wengen. Having local connections in the village, we managed to organise for Männlichen Aerial Cable Way to take a cable car up before anyone else, so we knew we would have the place to ourselves. Once we reached the top of the mountain, Leanne and I headed over to the ‘proposal’ point James kept the Chen Yi, Esther and the rest of the group behind talking them through each and every peak of the surrounding mountain range … and generally being a very convincing tour guide. Leanne and her husband William quickly arranged rose petals into a heart-shape and I hid set up my cameras hidden behind a car which stands on a podium on the mountainside.

And we waited …

Moments later the couple arrived and Chen Yi stood Esther in the centre of the heart then went down on one knee. Everything about this moment was perfect. The sun was still low giving the sky a beautiful pink glow behind them and above The Eiger.