2023 was another banner year for proposing in New Orleans! And after all of these years and all of these proposals you might think that there wouldn’t be any firsts left for me. Last year managed to usher in more firsts than I can even recall off the top of my head- and even threw a few surprises my way! Starting with an extremely elaborate surprise in January, proposals grew more and more into small-scale theatrical productions (I’m finally putting that theater production degree to use!) starring real life couples in love.

It was really hard to narrow so many incredible proposals down to just a handful of favorites. But I did my best! Here’s ten of the best surprise engagement proposals I planned and photographed in New Orleans in 2023.

1.Most Cinematic Proposal

Hail and Christina’s Rose Petal Rain Proposal

While most proposals in New Orleans feel worthy of the silver screen simply due to the scenic backdrop that is this historic city, Hail and Christina’s Marigny proposal felt the most like a scene out of a classic rom-com. Hail wanted to add a dramatic flair to his proposal and we just did that by making it rain rose petals from a balcony while the couple danced to their song. Everything went flawlessly, creating pure New Orleans magic and setting the stage for epic photos like this.

2. Most Elaborate Proposal

Chris and Ashlynn’s Carousel Proposal

Chris and Ashlynn’s carousel gardens proposal set the bar high for 2023 as not only the first of the year but the most elaborate I had done at that point. We rented a carousel, hired a 5 piece band, a ten person choir, and of course had to top the whole thing off with my signature “flower chucking” move. We had the entirety of Carousel Gardens all to ourselves to make this magical moment happen. It had the most moving parts of any proposal I had planned and I was actually pretty nervous for this one! But Chris, ever the coolest guy in the room, floated through the whole event like it was just a normal visit to the park. I envy that guy’s chill factor!

3. Most over-the-top Proposal Reaction

tie: Alexander and Lydia and James and Ellie’s City Park Proposals

This is a two-way tie because both Ellie and Lydia’s reactions were so delightfully over-the-top I really can’t pick one over the other. Ellie scream laughed in disbelief for a solid five minutes and Lydia kept returning to her original state of joyful screaming throughout the entire time I was there with them. Like she’d momentarily forget they were engaged then look at the ring on her hand and feel the surprise all over again. Reactions like theirs keep me giggling the whole time and, obviously, make for really great photos.

3. Most Unique Proposal

Valen and Sydney’s Mermaid Proposal

Valen mentioned that Sydney was into mermaids the first time he contacted me. So I pitched him a mermaid surprise proposal idea that had never been done before. I was terrified he wouldn’t go for it; it was pretty outside of the box. But he said yes! A lot of crafting work went into this one- coral formation sculptures, nautical accents, and a special, handcrafted clamshell that held a secret message for Sydney. It wasn’t the easiest surprise to pull off but when Sydney fell into Valen’s arms after the big reveal, I knew we had nailed it. Plus we got to do a mermaid themed engagement session the next day!

4. Most Romantic Proposal

Karla and Haley’s Terrance Osborne Gallery Proposal

The final proposal of 2023 was also the most romantic New Orleans proposal of the year. Karla told me Haley’s favorite artist is Terrance Osborne, a local painter with a colorful gallery Uptown on Magazine street. So I pitched a candle-lit proposal at his gallery complete with a live musician serenading them with their song. But I didn’t have to just get Karla interested (that part was easy!) I also had to get Terrance on board! Fortunately, I worked with him a handful of years ago and knew he’s a genuinely nice guy who would probably go for it. And he did! The proposal was gorgeous and even though Haley was completely surprised, she had been carrying an engagement ring for Karla with her for a while just in case. So after she said yes, she got out the ring and proposed right back!

5. Most Spooky Proposal

Dennis and Keren’s Corpse Bride Themed Proposal

Dennis came to me with the idea to have a Corpse Bride themed proposal picnic in the park for his girlfriend Keren. Romantic spooky is 100% a vibe and I am very much here for it! It took some searching to find the right decor pieces for this one-of-a-kind proposal; the Corpse Bride has a very cool toned color palette and most goth themed decor elements tend to be in warmer colors. But after a good amount of thrifting and shopping my goth designer friends’ collections, I was able to put together a picnic setup that was as gorgeous as it was goth. I even included a surprise handmade element that ended up coordinating perfectly with Dennis’ proposal speech. Swoon!

6. Most Dramatic Proposal

Ross and Chris’ Christmas Proposal

Ross has a touch for the dramatics and wanted his surprise proposal to Chris to reflect that. He said he wanted it to be over-the-top and a little bit absurdist! Umm…sign me up! We created a winter wonderland at a gazebo in the Warehouse District including holiday decor, a string trio, a 6 person choir, and snow! Well, as close as we can get to snow in New Orleans- faux snow from a snow machine. I custom built a muffler box for the machine so the rather noisy machine wouldn’t distract from the moment. Everything ended up being absolutely perfect and Ross pulled off a surprise that balanced romance and absurdism flawlessly.

7. Most Sentimental Proposal

Terry and Ashley’s Cemetery Proposal

Terry and Ashley’s proposal gave the phrase “until death do us part” a whole new meaning! Terry wanted to incorporate Ashley’s love for all things occult by staging the proposal in one of New Orleans’ iconic cemeteries. From there, we brought in additional elements that were a part of their love story to make the moment even more meaningful.

They are one of those couples that knew early on that they were going to be together for the rest of their lives. They even got matching tattoos a few weeks into the relationship. So when Terry was ready to pop the question he wanted to include the tattoo in some way- as well as a ring pop as a throwback to one of their earliest dates. I had recently added a laser cutter to my proposal crafting arsenal so I dreamed up a glass box with their tattoo engraved on the lid and the ring pop resting in a bed of black rose petals inside. It’s very on brand for me to offer a client a proposal element that required a skill I didn’t yet have. I may have never engraved on glass before but that wasn’t going to stop me from delivering something stunning! The box turned out beautifully and was the perfect sentimental keepsake for Ashley to remember that day forever.

8. Most Firsts in One Proposal

Evan and Cher’s Glam Goth Proposal

Evan and Cher’s proposal included a number of firsts. It was the first proposal at a new location in city park, the first “glam goth” decor setup I’d done, and the first time I ever captured a woman proposing to a man! While Evan set the stage and started the surprise, Cher matched his energy by producing her own engagement ring box from her purse and taking a knee. This was a proposal bucket list moment for me and a total surprise to Evan!

9. Most Fun Proposal

Nick and April’s Jackson Square Proposal

Don’t get me wrong, all surprise proposals are fun. But some proposals just really kick up the joy factor and Nick’s Jackson Square proposal to April was one of them. It combined all of my favorite proposal essentials- sentimentality, personalization, hand-crafted items (this time crafted by the proposee instead of me!), a gorgeous backdrop, and a spicy element of surprise! April’s reaction (from laughter to tears to laughter to tears to laughter) kept my team and I beaming. Plus, my team always loves it when I bust out my signature “flower chucking” move. What’s more fun than surrounding an unsuspecting person with rose petals just before their partner takes a knee?? Not much, honestly. I smiled so much during this one I probably gave myself some new crows feet. Worth it!

10. Most Personalized Proposal

Nicole and Bailey’s Library Proposal

2023 truly was a banner year for unique, personalized surprise proposals. Many of the 40 couples I worked with in 2023 allowed me to take the reigns and personalize the heck out of their big moment. But perhaps the most trusting of all of them was Nicole. She had to wait months after hiring me to start planning but I made sure to make it worth the wait! While brainstorming proposal ideas for a couple of bookworms, I couldn’t think of a better proposal location than inside of a New Orleans Public Library.

But “extra” is basically my middle name so simply staging the proposal in a cute little library wasn’t going to cut it. I dreamed up having a book staged on a shelf that Nicole would lead Bailey to, have her open, and there would be a message inside that would kick off the whole surprise. I tasked Nicole with coming up with the book title and message and then I designed a cover and had it speciality printed to fit a thrifted book.

Was that going to be enough? No, of course not!

I spent far too many hours (I reeeeally wish I had a scroll saw for this!) using a dremel to carve out the inside of the book, glue the pages together, and create a shadow box for the message that could eventually hold a photo print from the proposal. In the meantime, I filled it with part of the cover design for a one-of-a-kind, handmade keepsake that knocked even my socks off. Nicole put her absolute trust in me because I asked her to let it be a surprise to her, too! You’re going to want to read all about this romantic New Orleans proposal, I promise.

It’s truly hard to believe so many of these proposals happened in just 12 months when I look back on the year. There were so many firsts and so much creativity packed into only one year it feels like it must have been longer. I got the opportunity to do some really big, really cool proposals and I feel like I leveled way up in a number of ways.

I’m already five proposals deep into 2024 and have used 2 brand new locations, finally got to do a plant themed proposal, and pulled off one of the weirdest and most delightful proposals ever- and January isn’t even over yet! This is shaping up to be another killer year for proposals and I can’t wait to see what fun surprises the year brings.

Hit the button below if you want to be one of this year’s epic, super-personalized, unique, show-stopping surprise proposals in New Orleans.

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The 2023 Surprise Proposal Awards!