Close-up of round cactus in the Jardin Exotique d'Èze

A surprise proposal at the Jardin Exotique AT Èze

Hayden & Bianca

Èze, a medieval village perched above the sea

Hayden got in touch with me a few weeks before his proposal. He had one question for me: where on the French Riviera would be the nicest place to ask Bianca to marry him?
We talked about a few spots. And pretty quickly we chose the Jardin Exotique d’Èze, the botanical garden at the very top of Èze village. For me it’s one of the most romantic places on the Côte d’Azur. You walk among huge cactus and succulents, and the Mediterranean is right there, more than 400 metres below your feet.
Hayden had done his homework. Before we even spoke, he had spent time looking at pictures of the garden, so he already had a very clear idea of the proposal he wanted. I love it when that happens. It means the moment really looks like him, and I just have to make sure everything goes to plan.
If you’ve never been, Èze is a small medieval village on the coast road from Nice to Monaco. People call it the eagle’s nest of the Côte d’Azur, and once you’re up there you understand why. The old stone houses are built straight onto the rock, and the streets climb all the way up to the top.

The Jardin Exotique d’Èze, a garden on the rock

The garden sits 429 metres above the Mediterranean, on the site of the old fortress. On a clear day the view goes all the way to the Esterel mountains and the Gulf of Saint-Tropez. The paths wind down the rock among cactus and succulents from Africa and the Americas, and some of them are really impressive in size.
Here and there you come across tall, slender female figures looking out over the sea. They’re the earth goddesses made by the sculptor Jean-Philippe Richard, and they give the garden a very particular atmosphere.
For a proposal, honestly, it’s ideal. There are lots of small corners and terraces, so you can find a quiet spot even when there are other visitors around. And every time you turn around, you get the sea in the background.

Hiding like a tourist

We organised everything in secret. Bianca had no idea. On the day, Hayden and Bianca came into the garden together and started walking around like any other visitors. We had agreed on a precise spot with a view over the sea, and that’s where he was going to stop.
I was a little higher up, pretending to be a tourist taking pictures of the landscape. Except it wasn’t really the landscape I was photographing.
When they reached the spot, Hayden got down on one knee.

Bianca said yes. And you could see all the stress leave Hayden at once. I see it at almost every proposal I photograph. Very often it’s the man who has organised everything and kept the secret for weeks, and he’s so nervous right before. She’s completely surprised. Then she says yes, and the whole thing turns into pure joy.

Calling home straight away
One of my favourite pictures of the day isn’t posed at all. As soon as they had come down a little from the emotion, they took out the phone to call their loved ones on video. They wanted to tell them right away. It makes me smile every time I look at it.
And of course, Bianca had to show the ring.

A natural couple session in the garden
Once the emotion had settled, the three of us met up for a real session in the garden. I wanted it to stay as natural as possible. So we did a lot of candid pictures, where they just walked and chatted together, and also some more posed portraits with an editorial feel.
The garden is great for that. You can go from a path lined with giant cactus to old stone steps, then to a railing with the whole coastline behind you, in just a few minutes.

Walking through the streets of Èze village
When we had finished in the garden, we walked down into the medieval village for a few more pictures. The mood is completely different there. Stone alleys, ochre and yellow walls, and the odd pale green door. It was nice to end the session that way, slowly, just wandering.

Planning a proposal at the Jardin Exotique d’Èze

The garden is open to the public with an entrance ticket (around 10 euros)
Opening hours and prices change with the seasons, so check them on the official website of the Jardin Exotique d’Èze before you go.
One thing to know before you plan: a photo session inside the garden comes with a fee of €200, on top of my own session price.
I always mention it upfront so there’s no surprise on the day (the only surprise should be the ring).
I can help you choose the spot and the best way to keep the secret, like I did with Hayden.
If you’re thinking about proposing in Èze or anywhere on the French Riviera, write to me and we’ll work it out together.
Sessions available in English

A few questions people ask

1. Is the Jardin Exotique d’Èze open to the public during a proposal?
Yes, the garden is open to the public with an entrance ticket. Hayden and Bianca came into the garden together and walked around like any other visitors, and that’s what kept the surprise.
2. Is there a fee to take photos in the garden?
Yes. A photo session inside the garden comes with a fee of €200, on top of my own session price.
3. Where is the Jardin Exotique d’Èze?
At the very top of Èze village, a small medieval village on the coast road from Nice to Monaco, 429 metres above the Mediterranean.
4. Can you help me choose the spot?
Yes. I can help you choose the spot and the best way to keep the secret, like I did with Hayden.
5. Can we take more pictures after the proposal?
Yes. With Hayden and Bianca we did a session in the garden, then we walked down into the medieval village for a few more pictures.
6. How far in advance should I contact you?
Hayden got in touch with me a few weeks before his proposal. That gave us time to choose the spot together and to plan how to keep the secret.
7. Will my partner notice the photographer?
Bianca had no idea. I was a little higher up in the garden, pretending to be a tourist taking pictures of the landscape. When Hayden got down on one knee, I was already ready. That said, it’s often easier when your partner knows there’s a photographer, for example if you tell her you’ve booked a couple session for the holidays. It explains why I’m there, and the session flows much more easily. But either way, I adapt to what the future groom has in mind.

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ThESE MEMORIES ARE FOREVER.

If you’re planning a trip to the French Riviera and thinking about a proposal, or you’d just like real photos of the two of you in one of the most beautiful gardens on the coast, I’d love to be part of it.

Tiphaine Barth is a fine art and editorial photographer based in Toulon, France. She photographs couples, weddings and families across the French Riviera, Provence and Europe.

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