15 Proposal Ideas to Make Your Engagement a Success in Hilton Head, Savannah and Beaufort| Lisa Staff Photography
Time and time again I am asked by partners ready to pop the big question ( “Will you marry me?”), who call me and are excited about proposing to the love of their lives say, “I have no clue how to do this. What should I do?”
This is such an exciting time and you only want to do it once. So let’s do it right. I’m here with a few suggestions to make it the most unforgettable moment ever. One that is worthy of retelling over and over again.
So here are some of our favorite insider tips for ensuring that your marriage proposal is picture-perfect and a story worth retelling over and over again.
Step #1 Find the perfect life partner.
Step #2 Get the ring to rule all rings
Step #3 Decide which city you want this to take place.
Step #4 And I may be biased but I think this is pretty important. Hire a photographer to capture this moment.
I know. Seems obvious. But it isn’t always and it will be a missed opportunity if you don’t. Would have. Could have. Should have. And I’m not just talking about the images that could have been captured. I’m talking about having a partner in crime to take some of the stress off of your hands and help facilitate the best damn proposal ever. Let’s be frank. This story is going to be told over and over again, so here’s your chance to do it right and look like a hero.
Make sure that you vibe with that photographer and that they are invested in capturing what your love story is and not just going through the motions.
This is a fabulous time to have a conversation and tell a little bit about your love story. What you love about each other. How you met. The things that you love doing together. What would be a show stopper for your partner and speak their language of love with a ring attached? Does it get any better?
From this conversation, your photographer should be able to start brainstorming some great ideas and suggestions that perhaps you had never thought of. Let’s be honest. This is a covert op that you need to keep top secret until you pop down on that knee. Having someone in your corner to do some of the behind the scene logistics and heavy lifting is crucial.
Come up with a code name for this “operation”
Come up with a code name for this “operation” and make sure that your name is indexed properly in your contacts so that it doesn’t cause any suspicion. Your lover is likely to be with you most of the time or has access to your phone. For example, putting myself into your contacts as “Lisa Staff the damn well best photographer in Hilton Head for capturing my marriage proposal” just might be a dead giveaway. Naming me “Bill from accounting” is a snore burger that would never cause suspicion. Trust me. There are going to be back and forth texting logistics and the chances of your soon to be spouse one of those times seeing the name pop up on your phone are pretty high.
You are also going to want to confirm the best times and ways to connect.
Do you want your engagement photographer ever calling you? Maybe just text. Or is there a certain time of day? Or is it don’t call me, I’ll call you. Seriously, these initial conversations set the stage for great planning without stress.
And while you are at it, ask your photographer how they are going to be less than obvious when the operation is going down. How will they ensure that their big guns/cameras aren’t going to give it away?
You will also want to discuss the personality traits of the love of your life
Why? Well, that definitely helps with the planning. Are they quiet and intimate and would they be mortified to have you pop the question in front of a million strangers? Is family everything to them and would it make all of the difference to have family involved? What about their friends? Do you want to involve any of these people with tasks like holding letters or are they backup, hiding and ready to pop out after your lover says a big YES. Do they love nature? Hiking? Waterfalls?The beach? The city? Are they more the casual type or do they thrive on any and all excuses to live the glamorous life? Would they be pissed if they weren’t dressed up looking fine from head to toe? Do they need to feed the gram? Is social media important to them? Do they need to get their nails done? Sunrise? Sunset?(#fiddlerontheroof)
Is it important to involve family?
Is there a holiday or gathering that you want to plan this around?
Do you want to include any extra “flare”? And by flare I mean the sky’s the limit. That could start with….
- A bottle of champagne.
- A picnic for two with wine,
- A charcuterie and all of the fixin’s.
- Reservations to a local hotspot for dinner?
- A gorgeous bouquet of flowers.
- Large letters spelling out “Will You Marry Me” or anything else you would like it to say?
- Someone to add music to the event and serenade your love either during or after during your picnic
- A blindfolded experience to add mystery and surprise
- Boat Rentals
Ask yourself as well if social media is important to them. In that case there are a couple of other options I would strongly suggest.
- Definitely make sure that you do an engagement shoot right after the big “YES!”. This is such a great time to make use of the opportunity. You are both already looking fabulous. And to top that off, the energy of the moment is so vivid in the captures after. The feelings of the moment combined with the captures make it extra special.
- Consider having video taken at the same time. This can be done very, very incognito. No worries of it being seen. This allows you to relive that moment that could just have been a blur and share it with those that weren’t able to be there in person. I know! It’s brilliant and you are more than welcome.
And one more logistical perk. Make sure that the locations are mapped.
And one more logistical perk. Make sure that the locations are mapped. That your photographer has given you a clear diagramed map. That you know where to stand and position. That there is 100% clarity because in the moment you might be a little … ummm… stressed…. And the easier it can be, the smoother you can look. You don’t want to have sweat dripping down your face. Not cool and no fun for a photographer to have to retouch. See. We are a team! Got your back!
Lisa Staff Photography and Will You Marry Me Hilton Head specializes in capturing marriage proposals in Hilton Head, Savannah, Beaufort and Charleston.
If you enjoyed this blog you should check out some of my other tips here and here. I think that you might enjoy them!
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