New Orleans Local Pops the Question at a Little Known Location

John proposes to Becky in New Orleans Audubon Park

After photographing more than 100 New Orleans surprise proposals, I can definitely comment on proposal trends. And as a person who spent years in the New Orleans dating scene trenches, I can also comment on relationship trends. One thing is true about both: people are not wasting any time.

New Orleans is a big little city. Everybody is separated by about 2 degrees and when relationships end you don’t break up, you lose your turn. Dating apps are full of Peter Pans, pseudo-polyamorists, and well, to be honest, hot garbage. So if you are one of the lucky ones to find something that feels right, someone who you connect with on a different level, someone you know you can spend the rest of your life with- you lock it down.

John is one of those lucky people who met Becky just days after she moved to New Orleans. And just days after that, he knew she was the woman for him.

I don’t get to work with too many locals. The majority of my surprise proposal clients are from out of state (and sometimes out of country!). So it was delightful to work with someone who lives only about a half a mile from me! When he said they had been dating about 10 months but were about to move to Rhode Island together- I totally got it. Both in their mid thirties (like me!) they knew a good thing when they saw it.

Some people might think that’s too fast to know you’ve found “the one”. But I don’t. If you spend enough time dating you learn to see the red flags fast and you get an excellent idea of what you do and don’t want in a partner. And in a town filled with things you probably don’t want in a partner, the gems shine even brighter.

When you spend years panning for gold you don’t through a 6 gram nugget back and keep sifting, amirite?

Anywhoodle, I was thrilled to help John plan his proposal to his gold nugget. And since he lived nearby, he was able to bring a bottle of bubbly, a blanket, and a hella cute picnic basket to me ahead of time (normally, I go out and acquire all of those things for proposal clients who request them!). I was surprised to find he was super tall when he showed up at my door! I made a mental note to plan some seated poses for the couple’s 1 foot height difference.

The location had been recently mowed when I arrived. Which is excellent considering the grass is growing about a foot a day right now. But they didn’t bother to clean the grass clippings off of the edge of the fountain! So while keeping a careful eye on the clock- and making a sneaky, planned call to John that would lead the couple to that location-I quickly gathered all of the clippings by hand and got them out of the way. I usually have a push broom but for some reason didn’t think I would need it! Lesson leaarned, that puppy is staying in my car 24/7 from now on.

The couple arrived more quickly than I had bargained for. In my experience, proposals do tend to run early more often than late. I chalk it up to excitement! So while I was ready to shoot, my lenses hadn’t finished fogging up from the transition between and icily air-conditioned car to a humid July evening. Thank goodness for the dehaze tool in lightroom! 🤣

John stayed down on one knee for a while giving me a lot of time to capture Becky’s reaction. She was a little reserved at first but the longer John talked the more giddy Becky got. She (obviously!) said yes and John slipped the ring on her finger. The ring was very special- the stone had been a part of her late mother’s wedding ring. Becky and her sister split the ring with Becky taking the stone and her sister taking the setting. So John had a custom setting made for Becky and this was the first time she had gotten to see it.

She loved it. 😍

I pulled the basket of champagne out from hiding and the coupled settled in for a celebratory toast before we did a handful of posed portraits. I loved working with this couple- they were so sweet and obviously head over heels for one another. It makes my job easy when people are this adorable together!

Enjoy this selection of John and Becky’s New Orleans Surprise Proposal Photography.

Ready to plan your own proposal in New Orleans?