Yes. You can reserve the lighthouse area as a private event through the Newport Harbor Island Resort’s events team. A reservation keeps tourists and onlookers out of the area, making the surprise easier to pull off and giving you crowd-free photos with nothing in the background but the harbor and the lighthouse. Contact the events team well in advance, especially for summer weekends, since Goat Island is also a popular wedding venue.

See how it worked for one couple: Sanpreet & Muskan’s private Goat Island Lighthouse proposal →