Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple stands on a coastal pathway, smiling at each other. The sun is setting, casting a warm glow over the scene, with grass and a view of the water in the background.

Benedikt and Brittany | A Surprise Proposal on Castle Sands, St Andrews

Charlotte DaviesByCharlotte Davies

The one where I wore my old university BUCS jacket as camouflage, and some teenagers playing dodgeball with rocks (yes, really, rocks) nearly derailed the whole thing.

Six Months in the Making

Benedikt first got in touch at the very beginning of 2023, a full six months before he was planning to propose to Brittany. I really enjoy working with clients who want to get into the detail early – and Benedikt was exactly that kind of planner. We went back and forth on tide times, the position of the sun at different points in the evening, and the significance of various St Andrews locations to Brittany, who had studied at the University. Eventually, factoring in that Benedikt and Brittany would only be in St Andrews for a three-day window, and that I was only back in the northern hemisphere for a month at the time having been working in New Zealand, we landed on a date and a plan. The stars aligned, and we got golden hour.

  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple embraces and gazes at each other on a paved path. They stand in front of a historical stone structure under a clear blue sky.
  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple stands near beach rocks, embracing and kissing. The man wears a blue shirt and gray pants, while the woman wears a floral dress. The ocean is visible in the background.
  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple walks down a cobblestone street lined with historic stone buildings under a blue sky.

The Cover Story, and the Camouflage

As with any surprise proposal, the first challenge is making sure the photographer doesn’t give the game away. In most locations this means finding a vantage point and staying out of sight. Castle Sands has its own particular logic in this regard – it sits below the cliff path, accessible by steps, and the castle ruins above it mean there’s usually a reasonable amount of foot traffic and people with cameras around. But I had an extra asset on this occasion: I dug out my old University of St Andrews Riding Team jacket, pulled it on over my camera harness, and merged into a postgraduate barbecue that happened to be taking place nearby. Special thanks are owed to those postgrads, who were gracious enough to let a photographer with a very specific agenda use their social event as cover.

The Moment – Almost Derailed

Benedikt and I had agreed on a specific spot on Castle Sands for the proposal. When the time came, that spot was occupied by three teenagers who were, as far as I could tell, playing a version of dodgeball in which the dodgeballs had been replaced with rocks. This was not part of the plan. Thankfully, some nearby bystanders had clocked what was about to happen and quietly shuffled the game out of the way just in time – which is one of those things that could only really happen in a small town where people are paying attention to each other. The moment arrived, Brittany had no idea I was there, and it went exactly as Benedikt had hoped.

Couple laughing together on rocky beach

Around Town — The Castle Ruins, the Cobbles, and Jannetta’s

After the proposal, we had the best part of 90 minutes to wander, and Castle Sands as a starting point gives you an embarrassment of riches to work with. We made our way up from the beach through the castle ruins, which in evening light are about as good a backdrop as St Andrews offers, and from there through the cobbled streets of the town centre and past the accommodation Brittany had lived in during her time as a student. That last detail mattered – returning to a place that was significant to her and layering a new memory on top of an existing one is exactly the kind of thing that makes a shoot feel like more than just nice photographs.

We finished, as all good St Andrews shoots should, at Jannetta’s. Benedikt and Brittany bought me an ice cream, which -like the hot chocolate Tony and Leah furnished me with after their St Salvator’s Quad proposal (which you can read more about here) – is absolutely not a requirement for getting your gallery back promptly. But it does help.

  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple stands holding hands and smiling at each other near a historic stone building with twin towers, under a clear blue sky.
  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. Two people hold hands in a black and white image. One person wears a ring with a small gemstone and a watch on their wrist.
  • Charlotte Davies Photography - St. Andrews Wedding Photographer. A couple stands holding hands on a sunlit path near a fence, with a scenic background of houses and a coastline.

Castle Sands as a Proposal Location

Castle Sands doesn’t get talked about as much as West Sands or East Sands when people are thinking about where to propose in St Andrews, and I think that’s partly because it’s less immediately obvious – you have to know the steps are there, know that the beach exists below the cliff path. But that’s also part of what makes it work so well. It’s quieter, more tucked away, and the backdrop of the castle ruins above gives you something that the other beaches simply can’t offer. If you’re a University of St Andrews alumnus – or proposing to one – it also carries a very particular kind of weight, insider knowledge, that’s hard to replicate anywhere else in town.

Planning a Surprise Proposal in St Andrews?

I’ve covered surprise proposals on every beach in St Andrews – West Sands, East Sands, and Castle Sands – and each location has its own logic in terms of positioning, timing, and how to keep the photographer out of sight until the moment matters. If you’re planning something in St Andrews and want to talk through the options, get in touch and we can figure out what works best for you.

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Charlotte Davies
Charlotte Davies

Charlotte Davies is a professional wedding, engagement, and event photographer and videographer based in St Andrews, Scotland. A graduate of the University of St Andrews, Charlotte fell in love with Scotland during her studies and established her photography business in the East Neuk of Fife after graduating in 2023. During her university years, she served as the Creative Director of Lightbox St Andrews, a student-run photography business, where she honed her skills in professional people and event photography.

Originally from North Wales but having spent almost a decade in the East Neuk, Charlotte brings an intimate knowledge of St Andrews and the wider Scottish landscape to every shoot. Her work is defined by authentic storytelling and natural moments rather than artificial posing - allowing couples to be completely present while she documents everything that matters.

Beyond weddings, Charlotte is a trusted photographer for local businesses and institutions including Eden Mill Distillery and the University of St Andrews Development and Alumni Relations department. A familiar and welcome presence in the town's churches and chapels, she has built strong working relationships with the clergy and officiants who conduct ceremonies throughout St Andrews - making the experience of marrying in the town's iconic venues as smooth as possible for her couples. Further afield, Charlotte is a recommended photographer for Dalhousie Castle south of Edinburgh, the oldest inhabited castle in Scotland, for whom she has shot several commercial commissions.

Specialising in weddings, elopements, engagements, and events across St Andrews, Fife, and Scotland, Charlotte works as both photographer and videographer - offering combined packages for couples who want both covered by a single trusted professional. Follow her work on Instagram and Facebook, or view her professional profile on LinkedIn. For more information about her services, visit Bridebook.

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