The 2022 Surprise Proposal Awards
New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography
The Very Best Of another Record Setting Year Of Proposing In New Orleans
Proposing in New Orleans has never looked better than it did in 2022. I had the honor of helping 51 (49 at the time of this writing!) lovely couples take the next step in their relationship together. I saw everything from sweet and simple to extremely elaborate surprises- and there was even a surprise wedding! It was a big, big year for love with a lot of firsts for me.
I’d give every last Surprise Proposal from this year a superlative but that would make this blog post entirely too long. So I’m going to do my best to round up some of my favorites from the year. Without further adieu, I present the 2022 Surprise Proposal Awards!
Most Unique Proposal
The most unique proposal of the year was a proposal that almost wasn’t!
Patrick proposed to Nikki with the help of the Nola Chorus Girls in the first ever Chorus Girl proposal of the 21st century (I can’t say for certain this didn’t happen back in the original days of chorus girls!). But Nikki made it hard for Patrick to get her to his mark!
All went well in the end and the Chorus Girls were the most adorable thing ever. Read all about it here!
Proposal Planned from the furthest away
Radek planned his proposal to Cherish with me from England! That’s a long way to travel for a proposal but it was definitely worth it.
Cherish was already super excited when Radek took a knee but everything got heated up when a brass band began to play! Their energy was so high that tourists stopped to take photos with them.
We topped it off with a second-line down to Cafe du Monde and bottle of champagne aboard a private carriage ride. Cherish said “I feel like I’m in a fairytale!”. Hell yeah, Cherish! Mission accomplished. Read about it here!
Most Colorful Proposal
This proposal not only wins most colorful but also coldest proposal of the year (Radek and Cherish were a close second on the brrrr!).
Nick went for a colorful display of gerber daisies for his proposal. And I’m glad he did because the day was pretty gray and the burst of color really helped brighten it up!
It was also drizzling when we were setting up so my assistant and I were really bundled up. But even the wet cold of a New Orleans February couldn’t stop this sweet proposal from warming our hearts.
I get to photograph Nick and Jennifer’s wedding next year!
Sweetest Proposal
There is a sweetness to every proposal but Joseph’s proposal to Landon might have been the sweetest of the year.
Joseph took Landon on a walk through the French Quarter before they boarded a cruise ship. What seemed to be your typical Saturday morning tourist stroll turned into a tear-jerkingly sweet moment Landon will never forget.
We had a musician set up performing the most beautiful rendition of Bruno Mars’ Marry Me anyone will ever hear. Everyone involved was crying when Joseph took a knee. Afterwards, Landon said “this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me!” Read all about it here!
Most Heartwarming Proposal
Stefany’s proposal to Cindy was the first time I used framed photos as proposal decór. She wanted a way to personalize the proposal and I couldn’t think of a better way than a collection of photos from throughout their relationship.
This was also the first time I’d seen someone propose with two rings- one for each of them. So after she put the ring on Cindy’s finger, Cindy took a knee and proposed right back to Stefany!
There was no way I could prevent stop myself from crying during this heartwarming proposal. Read more about it here!
First Proposal at Hyams Fountain
I have been wanting to stage a proposal in front of this hidden little fountain for a long time. It’s been the backup plan for many Tree of Life proposals but I had never gotten the chance to use it.
Until Ben’s proposal to Tori got upstaged by a large wedding at the tree!
After Tori said yes, John said he was even happier with this location than with the tree. It was completely private and also unique!
It was also my 101st proposal! Read more about it here.
World’s Shortest Engagement
What’s more surprising than a surprise proposal? A surprise elopement!
For my 100th proposal, I got to help Chris surprise Ariel with a proposal, an engagement session, and a marriage ceremony!
I led the couple on an engagement session from the proposal to their wedding where their closest friends were waiting and her sister was set to ordain the ceremony. We even had a harpist!
The best part? Ariel had no idea they would be getting hitched that day! They went from partners to fiance’s to spouses in 45 minutes. I really should’ve called Guiness for this one. Read all about it here!
Most joyful proposal
All proposals are joyful. But Will’s proposal to Andee was so filled with laughter I have to name it the most joyful!
This hilarious couple didn’t stop joking and laughing the entire time I was with them. They’re the kind of couple that my boyfriend and I would be besties with if they lived here. They were the perfect mix of silly and sweet.
Andee’s reaction was absolutely adorable. I thought she was going to fall over from sheer excitement- and all the laughter. After Will put the ring on her finger I overhead her say “thank you! Wait… is it weird to say thank you?” and they both laughed even more. Read all about it here!
Most Romantic Proposal
I am, in many ways, your typical Cancerian woman: I’m super tough on the outside but absolute mush on the inside. Which is to say I am a total sap! So when I get the chance to kick up the romance I am SO in.
London’s proposal to Kelsi was the first in a private French Quarter courtyard! We dialed the romance up to 11 with candles, rose petals, a harpist, and a carriage with champagne waiting outside when they were done. I even got the ring ahead of time to put in the candle display!
This proposal was big on romance while still being sweet and intimate. Read more about it here!
Most Chaotic Proposal
Let me preface this by saying the chaos had absolutely nothing to do with the couple and everything to do with the unpredictability of the French Quarter.
Ronny’s proposal to McKenna was supposed to be fairly simple proposal (carriage ride with a predetermined place to stop and propose followed by a bottle of champagne and engagement photos). But it ended up being a mountain of chaos thanks to an unruly French Quarter resident.
But this unflappable couple laughed the whole way through- even while someone was yelling at my assistant! They stayed tuned into each other no matter what was going on around them. These two will be able to weather anything together. Read about it here!
Most Popular Proposal
2022 was the year I gave in to the algorithm and started making instagram reels. It was also the year I had my first viral hit!
The reel from Matt’s epic proposal to Kailee blew up immediately and never stopped. It currently has 1.1 million views and has been steady rollin’ for about 10 weeks. Wild!
While Matt and Kailee were looking out over Jackson Square, one of my assistants handed Kailee a card. While she opened it, two people threw rose petals around them and Matt got the ring out of his pocket. Kailee’s reaction to this unforgettable moment was perfect.
Spookiest Proposal
I have wanted to do a Halloween themed proposal for SO long and Tyler finally gave me the chance!
We staged his proposal to Cody inside the French Quarter Haunted Hotel’s courtyard. While they were away on a carriage ride, my team and I setup a spooky ring of candles with dried leaves instead of the usual rose petals, spanish moss, dry ice, fog machines, and a lantern to hold the ring.
It was perfectly spooky and Cody was shocked. The couple sat in the ring after and enjoyed a sparkling rosé that matched Cody’s new pink diamond ring. Read more about it here!
First Proposal in the Botanical Gardens
I have no idea why it took more than 90 proposals for me to finally get one in the Botanical Gardens but I’m hoping 2023 brings many more!
Josh proposed to Emily in front of the fountain inside City Park’s beautifully blooming Botanical Gardens. It was stickier than I’d like for mid-April but the lush foliage made a bit of sweat worth it!
They claimed to be awkward in photos but there was nothing awkward about this sweet couple in love.
Biggest WOW Factor
While this wasn’t the most elaborate proposal of the year, it did get the most “Wow”s from the couple! Seriously, Lexx couldn’t stop saying “wow” for a solid ten minutes. Even Ash, who planned the whole thing with me, was taken aback at how beautiful it ended up being. It was one of the final proposals of 2022 and was a very good note to end the year on!
Most Elaborate Proposal
Okay THIS was the most elaborate proposal! Trey wanted to go BIG in his proposal to Taylor. So we pulled out all the stops. It was my first time using marquee letters in a proposal and I gotta say, I am a BIG fan. The way they reflected off of the wood floors was an extra touch I hadn’t even expected! I’ll be pulling marquee letters in as much as possible in the future! Read more about Trey and Taylor’s proposal here.
There are more awards to come but I wanted to get this post out into the world as close to January 1st as I could! As always, thank you to all of the people who trusted me with this big moment in their lives. It means the world to me!