Chris Frailey has been honored to be a part of many, many weddings but all weddings start with one big question, “Will you marry me?” We know that proposals the days seem to be almost as important as the big day. With all the emotions and perfect reactions, it would be a shame to not have that captured. We have put together a few tips and tricks to planning the perfect surprise proposal photo shoot.
- Choose your location – and make sure there’s a spot for our photographer to conceal themselves. It might be somewhere behind you (such as at a table or literally behind some shrubs), or it might be in plain sight (for example, you could agree with our photographer to be there before you reach your destination and to pretend the beautiful landscape, random people, as tourists, or even food shots for the restaurant). Whatever it is, do make sure our photographer can hide away from your loved one’s sight.
- Timing is key. We cannot emphasize this enough: timing is absolutely crucial when it comes to these things. Make sure you set a very clear plan and that you follow through with it every step of the way. If something goes wrong before the moment have a backup plan in place.. You want your photographer to be ready to shoot the magical moment at the right time, since you only get one shot at a surprise!
- Make this a special moment. Don’t let your loved one get out of the house in their sweatpants, hair in a pony, and sneakers. Take her out to a special dinner, invent a pretext, do anything it takes for her to be ready – but do make sure she is not suspecting anything!
- Another not so sneaky option is to set up a general photo shoot. It could be a gift for their birthday, for example. When you start shooting the photos, though, drop to one knee and make your proposal. It is the perfect way to “hide” our photographer in plain sight. This will allow our photographer to shoot better quality photos too.
- Get your friends involved if they can keep a secret, host a party, or take a group trip to a great location. Have a pretend surprise for one of them. It also allows you to share this event with the people you love.
Regardless of the path you choose to take, remember that this is a big moment and you want to plan everything carefully. At the same time, don’t stress out too much about it – you want your love for each other to transfer to the pictures, not your anxiety over planning the perfect moment!