Proposal season is upon us, and capturing the “Will You Marry Me?” question has become one of the major life events worthy of documenting. At JPG, we are typically part of 10-15 proposals every year. Here are some tips to help plan the perfect proposal.
1. Location is key. We suggest proposing somewhere slightly public, but not too crowded. If it’s only you two and a person with a camera, your partner may suspect something is up. Choose a meaningful spot to your relationship or somewhere you know your partner loves. If it’s outdoors, just remember you may need a backup plan due to inclement weather.
2. Timing is also critical. Daytime proposals make for the best pictures as nighttime shots are more difficult to light. Plus, if you do it during the day, you can go out celebrating later. If the shoot must be at night, choose an indoor location if possible, or choose an outdoor location under a big streetlamp, or near large public light sources.
3. Attire. We’ve done formal proposals, all dressed up, and we’ve done proposals during a marathon. This only happens once so consider your partner’s idea of what he or she want to look like when these photos are shared forever. Encourage them to get pampered before if you can so they feel their best.
4. Plan for private time after it happens to savor the moment. We at JPG definitely encourage a couple of minutes to soak in the euphoria before we start guiding you both through some beautiful portraits. You may also need time to share the news with loved ones with a text or call.
5. Create another memory by planning a special dinner or get together with other friends and family to further surprise your partner.
6. Hit your mark and turn the right way. At JPG, we arrive before you do to scout the location and make sure it works for the big moment. Make sure you hit your mark of where to take a knee, and turn so she’s facing you and us at the same time. We don’t want to miss the moment because you now have a giant tree between us and your partner.
Once you hire JPG, we text you so we’re in constant secret contact. Please put our name in your phone as something inconspicuous. Don’t enter “proposal photographer” as our name in your phone, or you might blow the surprise.
We hope you choose JPG’s years of experience and creativity to document this life-changing moment. Take a deep breath. You’re going to do great
