When Josh came to me with his proposal, I of course was ON IT. This man happens to be my mom's husband's brother! So, I was very excited to have the honor to photograph this special day for him and Gillian.
At first, I was hesitant about a golf course because I had never done a photoshoot there, but then he showed me the view and I looked up some inspirational photos and was like, YES, this is going to be epic.
Through their proposal, I will be explaining how to set up a proposal when you are planning one for your significant other. Whether you are in state or traveling!
First:
Make sure to have the ring.
We were sweating hours before the proposal and t-time for them was 1pm.
Luckily, Brilliant Earth came through with an email saying Fed-Ex had a second delivery on a Saturday morning which was a miracle.
Second:
Have a plan in place. Have the times, ideas, and more importantly location.
Josh had all of these down to a T.
Preferred times are definitely in the evening, especially for great lighting. This happened at about 5pm in the afternoon. So, there was shade!
He knew he wanted flowers and champagne.
I acquired said flowers, plastic flutes and he gave me the champagne.
The location could be something that means something to both of you, such as golfing together at a beautiful golf course.
Third:
The best thing to do is to preplan ahead of time. As a photographer in a tourist-y area, it's very hard to get together with a lot of my clients before hand but it is so much better when we do.
You are able to see the location, plan where to hide and the person proposing gets to see where you are and you can directly say where you would like them placed based on your position.
It is definitely easier, but not unmanageable to do it all before.
This was all executed so well on this day, it gave Josh & Gillian some great photos in the end!
FAQ:
How do I get my significant other to dress up? Plan a nice dinner after with reservations! Or mention going out somewhere
How do I get my significant other to get their nails done?. Have a friend or family member mention it. Try to make sure this person gets their nails done a bit more often and just invites her! If you are a gift giver in general and like to get her things consistently, maybe offer to pay for a nail trip, but most women would get suspicious, so use this as a last resort!
Can I use props? Yes, absolutely use props! Set up a whole picnic if you'd like! Get champagne and flowers involved. There are so many elements and none of them are right or wrong. They are just the way you see it happening.
Should I bring the ring box? Try to bring the ring box. I know it can be bulky, but even if you are proposing without it, the ring box makes a great photo item to show off the ring.
I'm going somewhere we've never been, how do I plan a location? This is where I step in! Once you know a general idea of when you'd like to propose, getting down to the where can be tricky if it's a destination proposal. Let's ask yourself a few questions;
"Does this spot mean something to my significant other?"
"Does this spot mean something to US?"
"Do I want to be secluded or surrounded by people?"
"Are friends and family planning on being there?"
These questions can help if you are visiting and unsure. Also, a photographer should know some key areas of what you are looking for. Mountains and aspen trees? I know just the location! Want a beautiful lake overlook in Dillon, CO? Let me show you where!
For people traveling in, how do you go about planning?
Once we pick a location, I will scope out the location earlier the day before or that day. I give video, photos, and even screen shot on google earth to give a birds eye view of the location. I'm able to leave small symbols like an X in the ground or a mini snowman nearby for where to stand or face. Most of the time, if we can't meet, all of these options have done very well.
How long do you stay on the knee for?
Aa long as you can. If you think you need to stand up, stay for a second longer!
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