5 Best Ways to Propose in New Orleans

5 Best Ways to Propose in New Orleans

Insider tips from The New Orleans Proposal Photography Expert

New Orleans is known for its party vibes. Bourbon Street stays poppin’ off and there’s a live band around every corner. Everything is an excuse for a parade- even funerals!

But it’s also one the most romantic cities in the States. Moss-draped Oaks fill peaceful parks and wrought-iron-laced balconies line streets filled with cobblestone. Proposing in New Orleans is a popular choice. And if you’re reading this, you likely have already decided it’s the spot for you to take a knee.

So how do you pop the question in New Orleans? Here are the 5 Best Ways to Propose in New Orleans from The New Orleans Surprise Proposal Expert.

  1. With a Proposal Parade

    Everything in New Orleans is an excuse for a parade. And I do mean everything. New business opening? Parade. Someone passed away? Parade. Wedding? Parade. Just a random Tuesday? Parade. When the band isn’t accompanied by floats and throws, we call parades “second-lines”.

    You can hire a second-line Brass Band and throw your own Proposal Parade! The band will start to play just after the love of your life says “yes” and you can celebrate together Nola style.

A man and a woman stand with a New Orleans Brass Band in front of the Mississippi River in the French Quarter. The couple is smiling while both looking at her new engagement ring.

2. In a Secret Location only Locals Know

Everybody knows about Jackson Square and Langles Bridge. They’ve become such popular surprise proposal locations in New Orleans that I’ve seen other proposals go down while waiting for my couple to arrive. Nothing will steal your thunder quite like seeing another proposal just before your own.

Team up with a local photographer who knows the city so well they can lead you to secret spots where proposals have never happened before.

A woman kisses a man while sitting on his knee on a fountain in New Orleans Audubon Park.

3. With Custom Decorations

Sure, New Orleans is full of romantic proposal locations that are beautiful all on their own. But adding custom decór to your proposal location is a surefire way to show your love that you put a lot of thought into the moment.

Their favorite flower, framed photos, a sign with a custom message… there are many ways to customize decorations to make the moment exactly what your partner has dreamed of.

A man is on one knee holding an engagement ring out for his girlfriend. She is wearing a long orange dress and is smiling with her hand on her chest. They are in front of a fountain in New Orleans City Park decorated with a ring of red rose petals.

4. With a local musician playing your song

Every couple has “their song”: the one that was playing in the car at the end of their first date, the one that they were slow-dancing to the first time they said “I love you”, the one that they heard while picking out furniture at IKEA.

New Orleans is known for it’s live, local music and your proposal can have a local musician, too! Hire a guitarist, cellist, violinist, harpist, or pianist to learn your song and play it as you arrive to your surprise proposal location.

A musician plays guitar next to a gay couple proposing in the French Quarter.

5.With The New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography Expert

Ready to plan that epic proposal with any of the things on this list (and so, so much more. The sky’s the limit, really)? The best way to pull it off is to work with The New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography Expert (hi! it me!)

You’ll get insider access to the city from a New Orleans native with over 100 surprise proposals under her belt. I’ll show you secret locations, help you craft fool-proof back-stories, give you access to my local connections, and bring you all the best elements you can dream up for your surprise proposal. There’s no need to scour the internet for everything your proposal needs- just ask me and I’ll get it for you!

A photographer shows the back of her camera to a gay couple who just proposed in the French Quarter.

So what are you waiting for? Get started planning your New Orleans Surprise Proposal now!


Lady Walker