5 Tips to Help Your Surprise Proposal Go Smoothly | Arizona Proposal Photographer
5 Tips to Help Your Surprise Proposal Go Smoothly | Arizona Proposal Photographer
It’s that time of year!
Proposal time! I’m not sure of the exact statistic, but some insane amount of couples who are getting engaged do so between Thanksgiving and Valentine’s Day. I myself have had 3 proposals since mid-December, and I have 2 more next week! On top of the handful I’d already done before.
A proposal is such a special and unique moment in a relationship, and having that moment captured can help you remember all the little details for years to come. I LOOOOVE planning and photographing proposals and it’s safe to say I’m very good at it by now. ;)
Here are a few tips to anyone planning on having their proposal photographed.
First of all…
Decide how you want to go about it!
There are two options for surprise proposals:
Mid-session
Plan a normal photo session and let your photographer know that you want to propose during it.
Sneak attack
Make an elaborate plan with your photographer and they reveal themselves right at the big moment.
The rest of these tips pertain mainly to the sneak attack option, as that takes WAAAY more planning. Mid-session is a lot simpler, because your partner knows at least that you’re taking photos, the only downside is that it’s not as epic of a surprise. 😜 So, without further ado…
Surprise proposal tip #2:
Start with a clear vision
In my experience, proposals go the best when the proposer really knows what they want it to look like. Especially in terms of WHERE they want it to happen and what kind of backdrop. If you’re proposing somewhere you’ve never been before or don’t know very well, you can leave the exact location up to your photographer, but if you know “my partner loves mountains” or “we love the desert feel” or “this spot is important to us” or “I’m envisioning doing it at sunset” then that is all very important and helpful information for your photographer. It is best not to inquire with no vision at all (“I’m good with anything!!”) because then it will take a lot longer to plan and you may even end up being disappointed. Have at least a general vision in mind when you inquire with a photographer!
Surprise proposal tip #3:
Be easy to communicate with!
As I’ve said, this takes a looooot of planning, and it’s extremely hard to pull off if you or your photographer aren’t being communicative! You will probably need to talk on the phone at least once to work out details, and text at least on the day-of, to make sure everything is going according to plan. That can admittedly get tricky, especially if your partner has eyes on your phone at times (meaning, any situation where they might see a text from a random person come in). If your partner is wondering why you’re texting so much, be sure you have a story on hand. If you want to get real spy-like about it, you could give your photographer a friend’s name in your phone. 😂 Definitely not necessary, but it depends how in-depth you want to go for the surprise. 👀
Also relevant: if you’re proposing somewhere remote, be aware of that and make sure the plan is air-tight just in case you don’t have cell service!
Surprise proposal tip #4:
Have a backup plan, if necessary
Sometimes you need one! I had a proposal at the Grand Canyon at the end of the December. Due to recent snow, the side roads within the national park were closed, thwarting our original plan. So we quickly came up with a new one (thanks to easy communication!) and it still went off without a hitch! We did have to use a more crowded area, but it went just fine and I managed to find a spot that wasn’t swarming with people.
Moral of the story: in case of extreme weather conditions or any other possible factors, have a backup location in place!
And perhaps the most important…
Surprise proposal tip #5:
TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER!
Seriously, don’t underestimate how important this is! This is a huge moment in you and your partner’s lives and you need to work with someone that you can trust. And then you need to fully give them that trust. Especially if you’re proposing somewhere you don’t know that well or at all, your photographer will end up doing most of the planning themselves. Be open-minded to their suggestions! They know the local surroundings and lighting situation, and they also hopefully have experience with planning things like this.
If you relinquish a bit of control and trust your photographer to help you make a great plan and give you an amazing experience, you can have a low-stress, high-awesomeness surprise proposal! :D
