Beauty influencer & YouTuber Tina Yong didn't expect anything when she entered her hotel suite that day, but her boyfriend Alfred Tran had already prepared a sweet surprise proposal for his unsuspecting girlfriend that evening in Sydney, with the help of a few supporters, including SweetEscape. We talked to Alfred after the engagement and he was gracious enough to share their story with us!

1. Congratulations on your engagement! Can you please tell us your story together? How was your journey leading to this moment?

It was truly a case of being in the right place at the right time. Back then, Tina was working full time as a wedding makeup artist and rarely had any free nights but on that fateful night, Tina had a night off and I was attending a birthday party. We met at the club and have been inseparable since. I think I can count the number of days that we have been apart since meeting each other 3 and a half years ago with my two hands.

Since then we have travelled the world together, started a business together and moved abroad to Singapore together where we now live. It has been a crazy journey!

2. How did you plan for your proposal? When did the idea started to come about?

Because we travelled so much my first idea was to have a destination proposal but the more I thought about it, the more I felt that a proposal in Sydney, where we were both from and met each other would be more meaningful. Most of our friends and family still lived there and I also wanted to have Tina’s dog Koko to be a part of the proposal as she means so much to us.

Once I decided on that, I began looking for dog friendly venues. Pier One Sydney Harbour was perfect because it was pet friendly and had the iconic views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Luna Park.

Then I engaged with Unforgettable Proposals who helped me plan and set up the proposal decorations in the hotel suite. They were so helpful and supportive as it was super challenging planning the logistics from abroad.

I also got the help of Jason Queue who is one of Tina’s besties and also an amazing videographer to film the proposal (yes there will be a YouTube video on Tina’s channel!) and of course Steven from SweetEscape was the cherry on top with the beautiful photographs capturing the moment that we will cherish forever.

Finally I needed to find a way to get Tina to the hotel suite without suspecting anything. So I asked Tina’s agent Cathy to lure her out to a work “event” and she was totally on board! She even pretended it was an exclusive fashion event so Tina would dress up nicely for the cameras haha and Tina totally fell for it! She had no idea until she opened the hotel door to see the rose petals, the candles, the balloons and the photos. The rest was history.

3. What made you choose SweetEscape to capture your moments?

We have shot with SweetEscape before and every time it has been such a fun and memorable experience. We love meeting and getting to know their photographers around the world and their photos always turn out perfect!

Congratulations Alfred and Tina! Whatever your proposal plan might be, let SweetEscape capture your moments! We connect you to 2000+ professional photographers in more than 400 cities around the world, so all you have to do is to create your memories, while we take great photos of your every moment! For first time Escapists, don't forget to use the code FIRSTESCAPE to get USD 50 off your first booking, and let's #MakeLifeMemorable!