Atlanta Proposal Photographer | How to Plan a Proposal

My followers recently have started calling me the “Proposal Expert” since I shoot so many Atlanta proposals. I have become the unofficial “Proposal Atlanta Photographer” and I love it! I get inquiries all the time and book many of those.

I love being a part of the proposal process! It’s very different than the wedding planning process. When I shoot a wedding, I’m working very closely with the bride through email, texting, and phone calls. I meet the guys at the engagement sessions and planning meetings prior to the wedding, but they are very rarely my point of contact throughout the planning process.

When I shoot a proposal, I work exclusively with the guy since he’s the one asking his girlfriend! I know in today’s age these traditional norms can be changed, but so far I have never been asked; so that means I’m working with the guys during the process. It’s always fun to plan and scheme with them and hear their plans on how to pull it off. Since I shoot so many of these, I often help the guys with how to plan their proposal.

Funny dynamic of this whole process: I never meet the girlfriend until after I’ve spent a handful of minutes taking pictures of her without her knowing! It’s always fun and funny to be the first person to congratulate them on their proposal. “Hello random girl who I haven’t met. I just took a bunch of pictures of you without you knowing. Congratulations on your proposal!” haha.

Today I am going to share my tips and tricks on how to plan a proposal. Make sure to hop on over to my Instagram reels for these as well!

1) LOCATION:

Picking your location for your proposal is key in having a successful proposal.

The first thing to consider is do you want a private or public location. A private location could be renting a room at a restaurant, going to someone’s house, or going to a venue that only exclusively allows you there. A public location could be a park, botanical garden, or some kind of venue that other people could be there at the same time.

You also want to ask the question: “does this location have special meaning to us?” Or really, is it important that you pick somewhere that has meaning to you? A lot of my proposal clients hire me as their Atlanta proposal photographer because they are vacationing in Atlanta and want to propose on vacation. Some of my couples want a pretty backdrop, so they pick their location because of that, and some of my couples pick places that are unique to them and their relationship.

Do you want others around or do you care if it’s just the two of you? This is an important tip in how to plan a proposal. You know your significant other and know what they like. Would she be okay with being surrounded by a bunch of strangers in a park? Or does she need somewhere quiet and secluded just the two of you?

2) TIME OF DAY:

This is an important factor to consider.

Light in another factor to consider in how to plan a proposal. When and where you choose your proposal will play a factor into the time of day. You don’t want to choose 6pm during the winter for example for your proposal time because it’s going to be dark. You want to consider lighting as it will impact brightness, sun, and shadows. I have had a handful of guys call me with their ideas and timing and I have had to tell them, “Well, we can’t do it then since it’s going to be dark outside and you won’t be able to see anything.” Your photographer who you hire will be able to help you with this.

You also want to consider the amount of people that might potentially be around. A Saturday at a very popular park at 10am for example will have a lot of people walking, riding bikes, etc. I shoot proposals at Piedmont Park all of the time and I have a couple of locations I often suggest to shoot here that still give the Piedmont Park look while also being a more private location. The last thing you want at your proposal is to have people in the picture that ruin the shot!

3) FAMILY/FRIENDS INVOLVEMENT:

This is something that a lot of guys consider when planning their proposal.

Family and friends are super important to most people and including them in their proposals are often desired. Do you want to include them in the actual moment? Have a surprise party afterwards where they are there? Call them afterwards and share on Facetime?

I have had a handful of proposals where family and friends were involved in the actual proposal moment, and I’ve only had one of them go without a hitch when others are included in the actual moment. My personal suggestion is to have them there, but wait until you have asked the question. Have them come around the corner or waiting at a different location to surprise her to celebrate. When you involve too many people in a proposal, you have more opportunities for something to go wrong.

BUT, if you want to have family involved, by all means, do it! Your photographer you hire should be able to help you on the timing and planning of this.

4) HIRE A PHOTOGRAPHER:

If you want great pictures for proposals, hire a photographer.

There isn’t much more to say other than that! Hiring a photographer who can help coordinate and plan your proposal is going to not only give you great pictures for your proposal, but also give you a peace of mind that you’re taken care of by a professional who knows what they are doing.