New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography

Jamilah and Mae

Jamiliah contacted me with a unique request for her Surprise Proposal to Mae: she wanted to incorporate her two kids into the proposal. Both of her daughters had been dropping not-so-subtle hints they wanted Jamilah and Mae to get married. So we set out to devise a plan that would not only entertain the kids but make them a part of the proposal too.

Enter Lucky the Magician! I got Lucky on the phone to figure out how we could work the kids into the plan. He and I came up with a great plan for a proposal back in February (which I have neglected to put in the blog! I need to get on that!) and I knew he would deliver again. This is the idea we came up with- he would sneak a note into a balloon that he’d then twist into a heart and give to the oldest of the kids who would be in on it (the younger one couldn’t keep a secret so she had to be surprised along with Mae). Jamilah also wanted a musician to play a medley of their love songs for them, so when he finished performing, the oldest daughter would make a ruckus to get Mae’s attention, pop the balloon, hand her the note that said “turn around” on it and Jamilah would be waiting on one knee behind her.

This plan hinged on a 9 year old pulling it off. I was skeptical, honestly. I pitched it to Jamilah and she loved it. I told her there was probably a chance things wouldn’t go off perfectly since so much was riding on the kid’s performance. But she said it didn’t matter as long as it was fun. I could work with that!

I’d gone down to Armstrong Park the week before and did a video tour of the park for Jamilah, suggesting this bridge covered in flowering vines for the spot. She loved it and it definitely delivered. It was a beautiful Spring day and I positioned Lucky and Dr. Sick (our musician) close enough to each other that I could photograph the whole thing without it being obvious there was actually a whole thing going down! When the kids ran up, I said “oh hey kids, do you like balloons?” they jumped up and down with excitement and when Jamilah and Mae caught up to them I asked if I minded if I take some photos of the kids having balloons twisted, you know, for promo photos. They agreed and Lucky set off making balloons for the kiddos.

But he gave the heart to the wrong kid! We were all masked so he couldn’t see that I was trying to tell him to switch them and I couldn’t say anything without being too obvious and tipping off Mae! The oldest daughter knew she had the wrong balloon, though, and when she traded with her sister, her sister got upset! But Jamilah and Mae didn’t seem all that phased, likely used to the squabblings of kiddos, and they stood together enjoying their serenade from Sick. Right on cue, the balloon was popped and Jamilah moved into position. But the youngest daughter was now upset that her balloon had been popped! But her tears turned into a huge smile as soon as she saw what was going down! I wish we could’ve clued the poor kid in on the plan without spoiling the surprise.

It was a bit hectic, as I had imagined it might be. But it was kind of a perfect slice of life with two kids under ten. And everybody loved it! Especially Mae who was completely surprised. Their portraits we took after are some of my favorite EVER.

Ready to create your own big moment?

Enjoy this selection of images from Jamilah and Mae’s Armstrong Park Surprise Proposal Photography.