Planning a surprise proposal? Proposing to your favourite person and getting engaged is such an exciting moment! But also a very nerve-wracking one!
I’m going to give you some top tips on things to know and remember when planning your proposal! In this blog post, I will focus on two recent proposals I have captured, and how they went about making it happen!
First things first – The surprise proposal planning
When & Where.
When to propose:
Have you got a special date that means something to you both? Or does the specific date not matter as much to you?
Either way, starting with thinking about when will give you your timeline for the planning to start. You might be thinking a year ahead but equally you might only be giving yourself a couple of months! Either way, choosing a date or a month is your first step.
Where to propose:
Is there somewhere that means a lot to you both? Are you going on holiday together or is there somewhere you always go that you both love so much – even if it happens to be just down the road.
Starting to think of locations is your next step. This will help with planning the day out and how things are going to work!
How do you want the surprise proposal experience to be?
Are you thinking an elaborate, decorated spot? Or something more spur of the moment?
For example, the two surprise proposals I’m going to talk about happened in locations with lots of memories attached. They weren’t overly elaborate but they were heartfelt and this was perfect for their personalities!
Surprise Proposal Checklist
- Do you need to reserve or book the place you are planning to propose? If so, make sure to do this with plenty of time, especially if you have a specific date in mind so you don’t miss out!
- Do you need to orchestrate some events before the proposal where you both dress up nice so that they don’t expect anything? Or do outfits not overly matter to you?
- Get the ring (if there will be one)! Work out if you are going to be able to have this on you or if it needs to be hidden somewhere or handed to you.
- Book a photographer! This is such a great thing to do for your surprise proposal! It is such a special moment and an amazing story you will want to tell over and over again! So why not have it photographed! Your photographer will also be able to help with so many things, planning wise! So you wont feel on your own at all!
Kai & Lexi – Dunsford Nature Reserve, Devon
Kai contacted me about wanting to propose to their girlfriend Lexi. They are both super outdoorsy people and this nature reserve was a lovely place they liked to explore when Lexi was down in Devon. Away from the hustle & bustle of London where she was completing her PHD.
Kai told me that when Lexi was younger she used to make fairy houses all the time with her family. So in order to make this surprise proposal perfect. Kai handmade some fairy houses along the walkway to where they were going to propose. Like a walk down memory lane!
Kai scouted the location and sent me videos and pictures of a decoy area before the proposal location so that they could point out the fairy house without Lexi getting too suspicious. Kai had also sent me a scroll to drop off there when I arrived, this was where they had written everything they wanted to say so that Lexi could read it.
I arrived about 30/45 minutes before the planned time so that I could drop off the scroll and find a good hiding place behind a tree so that I wouldn’t get spotted. Signal wasn’t amazing in this part of the woods so this is when the prior planning and timings came in handy. Although Kai couldn’t text me, we had video calls before hand to make sure we both knew exactly what was going to happen.
Then the moment came, Lexi was surprised, Kai got down on one knee and the whole thing was perfectly captured! Kai also wanted to explore the woodland afterwards to celebrate their proposal and get some couple photos to remember the feelings on that day.
Jess & Hannah – Marazion Beach, Cornwall
Jess messaged me to let me know about her plans to propose to her girlfriend of 5 years. Despite the fact that they were both living in London, she wanted the proposal to be down in Cornwall where she grew up and for it to be on the date of their 5 year anniversary.
Jess decided to book me in for a ‘couple photoshoot’ to hide the fact that she was going to propose. This way Hannah would think that they were celebrating their anniversary with some gorgeous photos of the two of them. Plus some with Hannah’s nan who had come down from London as well and Jess’ mum who lives in Cornwall.
She decide on Marazion because of the sentimental meaning behind it for the two of them. To make it extra special she wanted to do it on the causeway that is only revealed when the tide is out!
As it had been decided that the surprise proposal would be on the 5th of December their 5th anniversary, we had to go with whatever the weather wanted to give us. And boy did it put up a fight!
With 45mph winds and torrential rain forecasted we decided to embrace it anyway. And there is something pretty magical in the chaos of the Cornish weather but the pure joy and love of the moment.
Now what makes this surprise proposal even MORE of a surprise is that Hannah also had a ring to give to Jess. So as they both turned around, they BOTH had rings! It was an incredible moment of chaos, love and surprise!
Next steps for your surprise proposal
These are two real life examples of how you can have the perfect surprise proposal for you! And hopefully they may have given you some ideas on how you would like yours to be!
If you are looking for a photographer to capture your surprise proposal, then I might just be the one for you! Contact me here to chat about your plans and let’s get excited!
Here are some other blog posts that might be helpful in the future:
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