Nathan and Jenna: New Orleans Surprise Proposal & Engagement Photography
New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography
Nathan pops the question at famous Jackson Square
Oftentimes, I tell surprise proposal clients how to spot me I say “I’ll be the tiny one with the two huge cameras. Can’t miss me.” But for Nathan’s proposal to Jenna it was the other way around. Nathan said to me “I’m 6’7”. You can’t miss me!”. He was right, too. I spotted their group long before they were headed over to propose.
Jenna often visited her grandmother in Lake Charles, La while she was growing up. They took many trips to New Orleans together and the city holds a special place in her heart. It was a no-brainer to propose in New Orleans when Nathan was coming up with a plan. They were planning a trip to New Orleans and meeting up with her grandmother and cousin, too. So he wanted them all to be a part of it.
We worked out a plan for Nathan to propose at Jackson Square while Jenna’s grandmother and cousin watched. As Nathan sauntered over to his mark with Jenna, her cousin wandered over towards me not realizing I was part of the whole thing. He stood right where I needed to stand. So I said “hey bud, can you walk this way for me?” and pointed towards where Grandma was waiting. He looked a bit confused then looked down at my cameras and mouthed “OOOOH!” before hurrying out of the shot. Soon after, Nathan was on on knee revealing a giant ring box. It took him a few tries to get it facing forward to open it which had both of them laughing. But once he did open the box, I was shocked at how bright the ring sparkled! Apparently, the box was so large because there was an LED in the lid that shines onto the ring to really make it POP. I hadn’t seen anything like that and while it’s a little gimmicky, the result is actually pretty dope. Well done, Nathan. Well done.
Jenna’s grandmother produced a bottle of champagne and plastic flutes from her purse (I don’t know how she kept all of that hidden!) and they had a celebratory toast before we did some group photos and then headed off on a quick french quarter quick engagement session. Coming in at a whopping 5’2” with heels on, the height difference between Jenna and Nathan was massive! I had to get creative with posing to close the gap. And when all else failed, Nathan lifted Jenna as if she was a dainty as on of those tiny ballerinas in a jewelry box. (Sidenote: Nathan did say keeping the ring hidden from Jenna was easy because he could just put in on a high shelf she couldn’t see over! This is so relatable to me haha!).
This was one of those sessions that even though I’m sweaty and a bit spent by the end of it, I don’t actually want it to end. They were such a fun couple and fantastically photogenic. I think y’all are going to enjoy this image set!
Want to stage your own new orleans surprise proposal?
