Without question, your marriage proposal will be a day that your lady will never forget…hopefully in a good way. She may tell the story a thousand times, but you know what they say about what a picture is worth. Having a photographer capture your creative proposal idea is a fantastic way to ensure that her special day is never forgotten.
There are very few negatives, if any, to having your proposal moment captured and saved for all time. Hopefully you have had a conversation with her in the past about photographers in your area that she likes. That way you can reach out to them and try to use them to capture your special moment. If you have never talked about it, check out her likes on Facebook. She may have one liked already that you can call.
I was very lucky in that one of my best friends is a wedding photographer and was able to help me out. If you are not so lucky, it will cost you a little bit if money, but it will be worth it. You may have a friend that takes good pictures, but there is no substitute for a professional. You can see the picture above was taken by Maggie (I cropped it to put on the site). The panoramic below was taken by me when I was asking her if she thought this site would work. She made the magic happen and you can quite obviously see that an iPhone just cannot make the same magic as the touch of a professional.
It is important not to commit to them being your actual wedding photographer right now. You know your lady will want to make that final decision and you do not want to be the cause of a bridezilla incident.
When you are talking to them, make sure you have the date and a location in mind. Obviously the date is important because you will want to book them. The location is less important at first because the photographer may have some ideas of places they have been that produce great shots.
If you have a location in mind, you can ask them if they will meet you there ahead of time (possibly as your consultation) so they can check it out and look at the lighting and angles available to them. It is also best to meet them at the same time of day as you plan to propose. The sun moves and angles change.
If you don’t have a location in mind, your photographer may have some suggestions. Check them out and see I you like any of them before you commit to one. Places that are not in the full sun are better than those in the bright sunshine. You don’t want your eyes squinting in your pictures. There are other tips you can get from your conversation with the photographer you choose.
With the date and location chosen, you and the photographer need to discuss whether or not they will be hidden. This is another reason you will want to meet them there beforehand. They will need tone able to be hidden if you so choose.
On the day of your marriage proposal, arrange for them to be there as far ahead of time as your budget will allow. You do not want to have to worry about them being there on time. If you really want to feel secure, have them text or call a friend of yours when they arrive. This friend can be responsible for doing the worrying for you. He or she should have the number for the photographer so they can get in touch with them if there are any issues the day of. The last thing you need to worry about is your pictures. After all, it is not a catastrophe if they fall through. The important thing is that you are asking your love to spend the rest of her life with you.
Once you have done the deed, you can introduce your love to the photographer and take some additional pictures. If you are lucky, they may even turn out to be good enough to be your real engagement pictures. That will save you a half a day of misery…I mean absolute joy later. 🙂
