The Last Proposal of 2023 is the First in a Famous New Orleans Art Gallery

2023 was an absolutely epic year for Surprise Proposals in New Orleans. I’m gearing up to put together the Surprise Proposal Awards for last year but I just had to share the last proposal of 2023 first. It was a balance of everything I bring to the table as a Proposal Planner in New Orleans: in-depth knowledge of proposals, a wide network of awe-inspiring professionals, a gorgeous collection of proposal-ready decor, expert photography, and a mastery of the art of surprise. This particular proposal was heavy on both the art and the surprise!

The majority of my proposal clients are not from New Orleans. Many of them have never even visited the Crescent City before! But Karla and Haley live in Slidell which is just across the lake from New Orleans, making them locals essentially. But working with locals can be even more challenging than working with tourists! We have to create a plan that doesn’t deviate so far from their norm that it raises suspicion (unlike tourists on vacation who are already out of their norm). And Haley and Karla have been together 9 years so they know each other insanely well. Pulling off a surprise was going to be a challenge.

But y’all know I love a challenge!

Settle in for this heart-warming story of how Karla and Haley surprised each other in the very last engagement proposal of 2023.

The Planning Begins

Karla had been nurturing this dream of the perfect proposal for quite a while. They chose rings together way back in August,and had been hanging on to them all this time. But here's the catch – Haley's a nurse, and her schedule is crazy hectic, so pinning down the right moment for a proposal was not easy at all.

When Karla got in touch with me, she was ready to make it happen and knew she needed a little expertise to pull off something unforgettable. We were a little short on time because Karla just saw the perfect opportunity open up and jumped at it. I've got a good bit of experience in planning these special moments on short timelines, so I was all in. As we started planning, I learned something cool – Haley loves the work of Terrance Osborne, a local artist whose paintings really capture the essence of our city. His gallery on Magazine Street It just clicked for me. It was the ideal spot for Karla to pop the question.

Nothing could be more unique, more personalized, or more special than getting engaged inside of the gallery of your favorite artist. As far as I knew, no one had ever proposed inside of Terrance’s gallery. And I was determined to make it happen for Karla and Haley.

Securing the Gallery

So, here's a fun fact about Terrance Osborne – I actually worked with him before. I put together a calendar for a wildlife rescue fundraiser a few years ago (it was called Men and Marsupials and featured good-lookin’ guys with a very cute baby opossum, what’s not to love?). The other model (the opossum) actually peed on him so I was fairly certain he hadn’t forgotten about me (LOL!). I knew Terrance was a super nice guy and was fairly certain he’d be down to let us use his gallery.

Even still, let me tell you, getting in touch with him this time around was no walk in the park. I tried everything – calls, emails, you name it. Terrance is a super busy guy and very hard to nail down! Finally, I hit him up with an Instagram DM, a mode of contact that I am admittedly not very good with, and bingo! I heard back within an hour. He was totally on board with letting us use his gallery for the big moment.

With the gallery secured, Karla and I got down to business with the decor. We wanted everything to be just right. We decided on these elegant candles in hurricane glasses, some classy gold accents, and gorgeous heart made of white rose petals. To really amp up the romance, we hired a local musician to learn and perform their song- Stephanie Mills’ “Never Knew Love Like this Before”. Talk about setting the mood for a romantic proposal!

The Day Unfolds

We came up with this sneaky plan where Karla and Haley would think they're heading to a concert nearby. They'd get there early-too early even- and just “decide” to drop by the gallery to pass some time. Pretty clever, right? Karla was fairly certain she could pull off this ruse without tipping Haley off- even though they’d be together nonstop visiting family for the holidays in the days leading up to the proposal.

When it was time for setup, it was all hands on deck. We only had an hour to get everything in place since we didn’t want to occupy space in the gallery for too long while it was still open. My partner, Ryan, Magda from the gallery, and I were running around getting everything ready. It may have been chilly outside but I was working up a sweat! We were moving fast – not even this giant fiberglass tiger in the gallery could slow us down! Madga volunteered to help by pulling the petals from the roses I’d picked up for the proposal. She had actually picked up some, too. And from the looks of things, we got them at the same store because they were the exact same white roses with deep red tips. Just another little kismet connection for this special evening.

Our guitarist for the day, Sam, shows up just as I'm putting the final touches on the scene, including setting up a phone to record the whole moment. The clock's ticking towards 5 PM, and you can literally feel the excitement in the air. Karla sends me a text saying they are five minutes away and I didn’t realize it at the time but Ryan later told me I was shaking!

And then, the moment arrives. In come Haley and Karla and they both look amazing. Haley clearly had no clue-her hand flies up to her mouth and her eyes brim with tears. Karla’s smile is so big she is practically glowing- though I can tell she’s super nervous.

The Art of Surprise

The proposal itself was absolutely stunning. Karla was a tiny bit off her mark, but no biggie – I just shifted a bit to get the perfect shot. The look on Haley's face when Karla proposed was priceless – pure surprise, joy, and a bit of trying not to cry. Just what we were aiming for! Sam wrapped up his song, and then the couple ditched their coats for a quick engagement photo session.

But here's the twist – Haley had this sneaky suspicion Karla might be proposing soon. They had been holding onto those rings for four months, after all. I would later learn that she had been bringing her own ring along whenever they went somewhere dressed up- just in case.

Haley told Karla to hold on for a moment and she crossed the room to where they had set down their jackets and purses. At first, I thought she was going for a mirror to touch up makeup since she had teared up. But then she surpised us all! She pulls out her own ring in a sleek navy blue box and proposes right back to Karla! Talk about a plot twist! The whole moment was so full of emotion and love, it was almost tangible. And lucky me, I got to capture every bit of that surprise and happiness.

Kismet Connections

After the SECOND big proposal, we head to the back of the gallery to take some more pictures. And, evidently, it was time for another surprise! Karla spots Ryan where he’d been hiding during the proposal and says, "Hey, aren't you the guy who runs Canopy plant co?" I looked to Ryan and looked back to Karla. We were all stunned for a moment until Ryan realized that he remembered Karla, too! Turns out, she's a regular at his plant shop and totally loves the plants she’s gotten from him. Talk about a small world, right? It just made the whole day feel even more meant to be.

Since we were already just dripping in special connections I figured I’d see if Sam would kick in one of his many musical skills and sing something in French. Nothing like a little French melody to amp up the romance. He happily obliged and it was amazing, of course. As the evening was winding down, and the couple was getting ready to head out to Patois for dinner, Magda, the gallery manager, hands each of them a rose- the ones that she purchased that perfectly matched the petals in a heart shape on the floor. It was such a sweet touch to end an already perfect proposal.

Reflecting on a Job Well Done

Looking back on Karla and Haley's proposal, it really hits home why I love doing this. Planning and capturing these big life moments is way more than just a job for me – it's something I'm super passionate about. And doing this in New Orleans is the cherry on top. This city's got a special kind of magic that just makes these love stories even better.

Their proposal wasn't just another gig. It was a real showcase of what love can do, and how a plan, when it comes together just right, can create something beautiful. Watching them walk out of the gallery, hand in hand, ready to take on the world together – it was one of those “wow” moments for me. I felt so lucky to be part of it.

Want me to be a part of your own “wow” moment? Take the first step to getting that “yes” and hit that button below.

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