Ultimate guide to your perfect proposal

Before planning engagements, weddings, and all that follows, let’s start at the beginning:

THE PROPOSAL

Ladies, before you think this entry is meant for your men…
You can be super awesome and unconventional and be the one who proposes to him / her! A couple of my brides did that and let me tell you, mad respect for them for claiming the partner of their dream.

But to start planning for such an important decision, it’s important to have thought through how to do it. I often have clients ready to pop the question and anxiously ask me for advice, so I hope this entry helps…

The main thing I want to emphasize is that for it to be special, it needs to be personal.
It’s not about the location, the speech, or even the ring, it’s about the connection you two have. Coming up with an experience that is meaningful to your story can take a lot of thought, but more importantly a lot of love. If serendipity is important to you guys, forget the ring, you can always get it later. If documenting this moment is important for you guys, plan ahead and book a photographer! And if you don’t, you can always recreate the moment over a photoshoot later. Again, the most important thing is that it’s personal. When you know what makes their eyes water and hands shake because their heart is so full, they can’t possibly say no.

Take these two for example:

Hannah and Will live in New York City. Will’s father sadly passed away years ago, and the city named a bench in his honor inside Central Park. One day as they were strolling through the park, Will took Hannah to his father’s bench and told her “I wish my father could have been part of our wedding, but I wanted him to at least be part of our engagement…” and dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him. The intention and emotions were genuine and meaningful. Of course she said yes!

As far as photography, let’s discuss some logistics for best results.

Consider the crowd:
If you’re planning to propose somewhere popular, be mindful that it will likely be crowded. That’s totally ok if you want people to be surrounding you, potentially even cheering you on. But if you’re planning to have the moment filmed or photographed, or if your partner doesn’t like public attention, this may totally work against you. Consult with me about what time would work best for your dream location. For example if you’re planning to propose in a touristy place, sunrise is usually the best time to beat the crowds.

Enjoy the moment:
Once you get to your ideal place, take your time to connect with your partner. Don’t worry about controlling the moment, let it flow as it should and everything will fall into place. I typically “hide in the bushes” so that I capture your proposal without interference, and allow you guys a moment to take it all in before introducing myself, congratulating you, and leading the way for our photoshoot. I usually instruct my clients to find a spot in the shade when they propose, as it allows for the best lighting conditions. Keep in mind we can always shoot somewhere brighter or more crowded after the initial surprise is over and we have more control of the scene, but let’s first ensure you have the very best “yes”.

Surprises are great, being unprepared is not:
Another tip I give my clients is to make sure their partner looks their best that day, which can be hard when it’s a surprise! So I have a few strategies: You can tell your partner you’re taking them on a fancy date and propose on the way there (if I may share, this is actually how my husband proposed to me… and I did not see it coming at all!) Or for sunrise shoots, which are even harder to convince without spoiling the surprise, I have my clients tell their partner that I’m their “photographer friend” who needs portfolio shots so they are doing this as a favor. This way they anticipate the photo session but not the big question. I have tons of other sneaky ideas, which I’ll gladly share over our consultation. One last tip though is to make sure your partner gets their manicure done for that day… you’ll thank me later ;)

Here are a few shots from a Brooklyn Bridge sunrise “shoot” that turned into a proposal:

I hope you find some valuable advice in this reading. I’m beyond honored every time I get to capture this incredible moment, so just know that I’ll be cheering you on every step of the way.
Feel free to get in touch for any help or whenever you’re ready to set up a photo session!