A Surprise Proposal

Jan 13

Have you ever thought of surprising your partner when you’re finally ready to get down on one knee asking the big question? But then the intrusive thoughts of “what should I wear?” “how do I get my partner to wear something nice without giving the fact that I’m proposing?”

I recently captured a surprise proposal that I learnt many tactics from and will be highlighting to give you the best key tips of how to make your proposal a success as well!

Preparing for the Proposal

Matt contacted me to set up a photographer for his proposal to his then girlfriend, Susie, during their visit to Maine in September. They were traveling from Kansas City for a few days and he really wanted to capture this special moment on camera. He already envisioned that he wanted to have the lighthouse in the background, as well as the ocean. So I sent him two different vantage points, and ultimately decided on the cliffs. Matt and I spoke on the phone to coordinate details - what he will be wearing, time of proposal, location, etc. Matt informed me he would be wearing a brown suit and that Susie would be wearing a dress. He also sent me a photo of what they looked like so that I could so it’d be easy to spot them.

The Engagement

I arrived about 15 minutes before him so that I could pretend to take photos and blend in with the other tourists there. I arrived at the spot and kept an eye out for them. I saw them walking towards me from my peripheral vision. I let them pass by me and waited a few minutes before I followed them. I was waiting/standing along the fence taking photos of the lighthouse amongst other tourists so it was not obvious I was there for them. Once they walked through the gate that led out onto the cliffs where we agreed he'd propose, I discreetly followed them.

I watched Matt and Susie make their way out to the cliffs and stood up high so that I had a great angle of them, but was still slightly hidden from them. I was able to capture Matt taking photos of Susie on his own camera and Susie taking photos of him, too, which are always great shots to have. The moments leading up to the proposal are always really special because (usually) the partner does not have any idea what's about to happen! The moment quickly approached, and since I was already taking photos of them, it was easy for me to catch the moment that Matt bent down to propose! After Susie said yes and they shared a private moment together - which I was also able to capture on camera - I made myself known to both, congratulated them, and then began taking photos of them together!

The Best Surprise Tactic

When Matt told me he was wearing a brown suit, my initial thought to myself was “hmm, I think the suit is going to give it away that you’re proposing!” (Not many people choose to wear suits to a lighthouse!) Once I met both of them, Matt revealed to me that he had told Susie to wear something nice for their dinner reservations he had made for them already. He had actually planned nice dinners every night during their visit so that Susie wouldn’t be thrown off or catch on to a “special dinner” on a random night during their stay. Personally, I thought this was a great tactic! And even from a photographers view point, a great tactic to get your partner to wear something nice without letting them know you’re proposing.

The majority of proposals that I capture are boyfriends proposing to their girlfriends, and luckily boyfriends KNOW that the last thing their girlfriend would want is to be caught on camera without her hair done or makeup done, and not wearing something nice! If you're in this predicament, try using a nice dinner reservation or some other event where they'd need to be dressed up for to ensure they'll be photo-ready without throwing off the surprise - and do this often so that this isn't so out of the blue that they catch on to what's happening!

Use the excuse of a nice dinner reservation of other event where you need to be dressed up to ensure everyone is photo-ready without ruining the surprise!

Keep In Mind The Location

When thinking about what to wear, think about the location you're proposing at, too. Matt had fortunately told Susie they were going to the cliffs, so she wore comfortable shoes. You don't want you or your partner wearing shoes and clothing that will restrict your moment. For example, if Susie had been wearing high heels, they probably would not have been able to make it onto the cliffs, meaning the proposal plan would have been thrown off!

I also often take photos of couples in Acadia National Park after a hike, so make sure you're both wearing appropriate hiking gear! If you want to make sure your partner wears something a bit more nice for photos, suggest that you take photos together at the top for your Christmas card or for a new profile picture. You can also even suggest that you have complementary outfits to get them to wear something nice. Just be sure to pick out your outfit first and suggest to your partner something that would look great with it! As a woman myself, I know that I would want to be camera-ready if I was having my proposal photographed