6 Ways To Get A Flawless Proposal Picture Without Ruining The Surprise

Facebook. Instagram. Pinterest. If you are of the age when all of your friends are getting engaged or married, then your newsfeed has most likely been flooded with pictures of the engagement ring or the events leading up to the wedding. But, a huge trend is to now get photos of the actual proposal itself.

We know that the events leading up to the proposal can be daunting for some and important for all. Thinking about how to get a picture of the proposal could be the very last thing on your mind. But, in today’s world where people post pictures of everything from what they ate for lunch to how badly someone parked at the grocery store, it could be very important to your significant other to be able to share this huge life moment in a way that everyone is able to see it - with a photo.

So, how do you get the perfect picture of the proposal? From recruiting your best friend from kindergarten as an accomplice to nifty new technologies, we give you 6 different techniques for getting the perfect picture of the proposal:

#1. Recruit a Friend

Read all about how Eric proposed to Rachel with a Long's ring and the help of their friend Ginny. See more pictures that Ginny captured on her blog.

• Why We Love It: The biggest benefit to selecting your friend as your photographer accomplice is that you can have the friend execute the perfect “Will you marry me” shot without it seeming weird that another person is randomly there, especially if the friend is an integral part of the actual proposal itself. You are able to pick someone that you or your partner trusts, so it’s probably safe to assume that you can rely on a close friend to get the photo because they are your friend for a reason (I mean, you are the company you keep).

• Things To Consider: The biggest red flag we see here is the same red flag that goes with any top-secret event when one friend has to keep it under wraps from the other - Will they accidentally spill the plans to your significant other? If they are truly dependable, then we don’t think you should worry about it. But, are they the type of person who loves to be the first to know the gossip? Maybe try another friend or pick another method of getting the perfect proposal picture.

#2. Hire A Professional Photographer

Credit: Jason Corey Photography

• Why We Love It: Many people are hiring professional photographers to get high quality photos of the marriage proposal. We love this new trend because you are able to pick the photographer so that you can be assured that the photos will come out just how you always envisioned them. In this way, you are able to capture an intimate moment while keeping the actual moment itself private to the couple. Paparazzi Proposals is a national proposal photography company that specializes in making sure that they get the best, paparazzi-like photos of your engagement (and all events leading up to your engagement) without your significant other – or even you really – knowing that there is a professional photographer taking photos. They scope out your proposal location before and tell you where they will be at what time, but because they are hidden, whether it’s in the crowd or behind a bush, your partner will have no idea.

• Things To Consider: While the trend is that you and the photographer plan out where they will be hidden and how to get the best shots, and that they come out and expose themselves to the couple after all of the initial intimate moments to take more pictures of the couple after the proposal, we think that the photographer revealing themselves has the potential to be awkward, or maybe unwarranted by your other half. An easy answer to this problem is to just ask the photographer to remain hidden until you leave. There is also the issue of cost, in that professional photographers cost a significant amount more than if you had recruited your Aunt Mary to take the pictures. Another thing to consider is knowing that the photographers are there. Will it make you anxious, nervous, or distracted? If you answered yes to any of these, maybe entertain another option.

#3. The Ring Cam

• Why We Love It: Get your significant other's immediate reaction, face-on, from the point of view of the ring in the box. It’s a simple concept, easy to do, and requires minimal work to get pictures from your perspective that you otherwise would never have been able to.

• Things To Consider: Will the angle actually work? With the ring camera there is a huge potential to miss the shot, and once the ring is out of the box, it’s over. If you think that the ring camera is a must for your proposal, we would definitely recommend using this AND another photo method, just to be sure that you still get the proposal pictures. There’s nothing worse than an unflattering angle, or completely missing the opportunity to get the perfect picture because the position that you are holding the box at isn’t in line with their face.

#4. Plan It Around An Event Where You Take Pictures Anyway

Credit: Splash Mountain Proposal / Dolphin Proposal / Disney Proposal

• Why We Love It: These pictures have the potential to be exceptionally cute. I mean sure, you’ve seen everyone’s photos of when they swam with dolphins on vacation, but have you ever seen one with a proposal in it? A few of the major benefits here is that the photographers are in their natural habitats so they’re used to shooting there, it’s literally their job to get the best picture of you no matter what, and while your significant other knows that the picture is coming, they don’t know that the ring is, so the proposal will be that much more of a surprise. Ideas include popping the question in a photo booth, in the middle of a rollercoaster ride, or at the place where dreams come true, Disney.

• Things To Consider: As with all of the methods, there’s the potential that they don’t get the picture. And, depending on where you do it, the environment may not be the best for popping the question – Other people and kids, the size of the crowd and the space, the type of surroundings and the issue of timing are all important things to consider before going this route…After all, you only get the chance to propose once!

#5. Ask a Random Person To Take Your Photo

• Why We Love It: The random person won't see it coming, so your significant other definitely won’t either. We've heard people use this method on vacation a lot, because they would already be asking randomly strangers to take photos in famous landmark locations anyways.

• Things To Consider: Will they get the perfect picture? Are they good at taking pictures? Do they even know how to use your phone/camera? All of these variables are so unpredictable, which makes this method of getting the proposal photo easily the biggest gamble of all of them. If lady luck is usually on your side and you think this is the way you want to propose, then go for it. We recommend scoping out the people in the area first to find the perfect person to take it. Try to see if you can find someone with the same phone or camera as you taking their own pictures, or someone who just instinctively looks like they know what they’re doing.

#6. The “I Pray That Someone Gets A Picture Of Us”

Andy recruited his friend to get his proposal photo, but a professional photographer also happened to be close by, heard their proposal, and was able to take pictures too. 

• Why We Love It: In today’s world, its second nature for people to take pictures when they see a touching event happen. So as you would expect, if you propose in a public space where there are other people, the chances of someone taking a picture of your proposal are very high. We love this method because it doesn’t involve planning, money, or the worry that comes with positioning your proposal in terms of lighting and angles for the perfect picture. This way, you can just be in the moment and not have any distractions while you are popping the question.And hey, the chances of you going viral, like this couple, are high!

• Things To Consider: This method is the biggest ‘Hail Mary’ of them all in terms of getting the perfect proposal photo. First, there may not be anyone around when the time comes, which means no picture. Second, there may be people around, but there is the potential that nobody takes a picture, which means no picture. Third, you may not even ever see the pictures, or they could get lost in the world of camera rolls, which means no picture. If the perfect proposal photo isn’t that important to you or your significant other, then this may be the method for you. If you know your significant other wants a picture though, then we would definitely recommend selecting any of the above methods.