The Best New Orleans Proposals of 2024
(AKA The 2024 Surprise Proposal Awards)
2024 was a banner year for couples proposing in New Orleans. I produced my 200th proposal halfway through the year. And The Expert team and I got to be a part of a whopping 51 proposals! We got to witness people from literally all over the world take a knee and ask the love of their life for forever.
Proposals were planned from a cruise ship, a hotel stairwell, a deer stand, mothers’ houses, inside so many cars (once even while the proposee was the passenger!)- wherever a person had to go to keep the biggest secret ever from the person they share everything with. I’ve quickly smashed mute when a partner has called and dived out of meetings when a partner has come home early. I developed even more clever tricks on keeping that secret right up until the last possible moment. The challenge of surprising the unsurprisable never gets old.
Handmade elements of surprise were huge in 2024. So were super niche experiences hyper dialed-in to the couples’ interests. From plant sales to cemetery tours to entire frickin’ nutcracker ballets, my team and I continuously raised the bar for what a proposal can be.
I have so many favorites from last year that with even a list of 15 I feel like I’m leaving too many out. So without further adieu, here is a not-even-close-to-exhaustive list of the best Nola proposals of 2024!
Most Cinematic Proposal
Hunter and Emily’s City Park Proposal
2024 was actually a big year for High School/College sweethearts to propose and Hunter “Bo” and Emily were one of the cutest couples in that category. Both originally from New Orleans, they met when Emily’s all-girls High School lost the male lead for an upcoming theater production. Bo stepped in from his all-boys school and as luck would have it he ended up playing Emily’s romantic counterpart. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now in med school all the way down in Grenada, Bo was ready to pop the question when he came home for Christmas break. He wanted something that was going to really catch her by surprise and feel just a little bit over-the-top- in a location meaningful to them. Bo is a true romantic, much like myself, and we had a great time coming up with the perfect way to personalize their proposal. Both Emily and Bo were performing in the Nutcracker during his break so I figured adding some theatrics would be welcomed.
We picked a beautiful Live Oak tree in City Park as one of their first dates was not far from there. Then we hired a string trio to perform one of Emily’s favorite songs, “Turning the Page” by Sleeping at Last (Emily is a bit of a Twihard and while Bo is not, including a song from the Twilight series was a very sweet way to show he loves every aspect of her, even the ones he likes to tease her about). The plan was for the couple and 2 of their friends to take a stroll through the park. We would have 2 of the musicians staged at various places that they would walk by. Then before arriving at the proposal location, they would pass 3 carolers singing a song that had their future shared last name in the title. The musicians would head to the tree to await the couple and the carolers would follow behind them. At the tree, the couple would encounter a table with a sign that says “ring bell for magic!” next to a custom box with a silver bell in it. Emily would ring the bell, the Trio would start to play, and just as Emily is recognizing the song, the 3 carolers would sprinkle rose petals around the couple before scampering away. Bo would take a knee and pull out the ring!
On the day of the proposal the weather was stunning and everything went off flawlessly. The moment went down like something straight out of a movie. Emily’s reaction was exactly what Bo was hoping for and she was 100% surprised. The lights came on shortly after for the Celebration in the Oaks experience and we were able to get some really magical engagement photos as the sun set and twilight lingered. I really could’ve spent all night taking photos with this couple!
2. Most Elaborate Proposal
Austin and Emmy’s Nutcracker Ballet Proposal
Austin came to me with just two weeks to plan a proposal that would be “spectacular”. As the final proposal of 2024, I was up for the challenge and we wasted no time getting into it. He pretty much gave me free reign to let my imagination run wild. Which is a sure-fire way to get a proposal that is going to blow away all expectations.
Because I had recently done Bo and Emily’s proposal, I had nutcracker on the brain. Plus the proposal was set for 2 days after Christmas so I figured we could get away with a Christmas vibe. I pitched a fake nutcracker performance with a flash-mob audience. We would hire real dancers, real musicians, and have them start a real performance. But a few numbers in, the audience would get up and, with the help of the dancers, would redecorate the stage for a proposal. The musicians would shift the music, the lighting would change, and Austin would stand to offer Emmy his hand and invite her to walk onto stage with him where he’d pop the question. Austin loved the idea because, as it turned out, he had told Emmy he’d take her to see the nutcracker this year but they didn’t get a chance to.
Did I mention I only had 2 weeks to make this happen in? As soon as Austin greenlit the idea I hit the ground running.
The first step was the venue and I landed us the Marigny Opera House. I got to work with New Orleans’ premier Flash Mob coordinator, Kenneth Kynt Bryan, who was able to hire 4 ballet dancers who knew nutcracker choreography and 12 audience members… in under 12 hours! I pulled in one of my go-to musicians, Sam Craft, to compile the string quartet. Then I got to work planning out the decor so that it could serve as a Nutcracker backdrop but then be transitioned into a proposal backdrop. Austin said their favorite movie was Pretty Woman and told me about a line they both loved that he’d recently ordered a neon sign of. So I incorporated the line as well as the song “pretty woman” into the plan. To really sell the whole thing, I made fake playbills that the couple would be handed at the door.
Many people have described to me a feeling of “blacking out” during their proposal. But this may be the first time I felt like I blacked out! It went by so fast and there were so many moving parts that one it was underway I feel like I went on autopilot. Everyone played their parts perfectly. It was exactly what Austin had hoped for - Spectacular! Emmy was blown away and started calling her family immediately. My friend Dmitry handed them a polaroid of their proposal moment, of course. I love it when he shows up to add that bit of magic. It’s not a service I offer or something anyone is even expecting. It’s just Lagniappe, as we like to say here in New Orleans.
3. Most Unique Proposal
Max and Lisa’s Interview with the Vampire Proposal
I could assign about 800 superlatives and records to this proposal: longest planning time, most personalized, heaviest props, most niche, all-time-favorite… But for the sake of this format I’ll just call it 2024’s Most Unique Proposal.
Max and I started working on their proposal to Lisa in the Summer of 2023. Aside from just being the type to get a super big jump on planning, life tossed in a few curveballs for the couple that pushed our original date of April 2024 to October. But everything that happened on the winding road to get these two to New Orleans together ended up making for a proposal that can only be described as fated.
Lisa is obsessed with Anne Rice and I just so happened to know the owner of the actual casket used for the Vampire Lestat in the recent reboot of Interview with the Vampire filmed here in New Orleans (because of course I do. According to Max, I am the Mayor of New Orleans). Max was game to let my imagination run wild and through several strategy sessions we came up with the most epic surprise: Max would take Lisa to the (fake) start of a (fake) Anne Rice tour where she would get a (real) photo op with Lestat’s (real) casket. But inside the casket she’d find an item emblazoned with the simple question “Same tomb?” which would signal to her instantly that nothing in this scene was as it seemed. While looking in the casket, Max would get down on one knee, ready with the ring for when Lisa turned.
And even though I had to scramble to move the proposal a day later when a Hurricane wrecked their travel plans, everyone who was supposed to be a part of the proposal was miraculously available- and our perfect venue was available!
There isn’t a word fitting enough to describe how perfect this proposal was. Everything went down exactly as planned- our tour guide showed Lisa the first of two caskets from the show (oh yeah- in the 6 months we had to postpone, I started working with a prop rental house who ALSO had a casket from the show. If you haven’t seen it I’m not going to spoil it for you but I will say it’s a very important prop at the end of season 1 and you really need to watch the show!) while Max snuck off to the bathroom to get mic’d up for the video, a pianist played some eery music on the grand piano on the stage, and once Max rejoined Lisa, the tour guide led her to the casket where she tentatively peered inside. The pianist switched to a rendition he arranged of “Telepath” by Manchester Orchestra just as Lisa turned to see Max down on one knee.
In addition to combining the “Same Tomb” message with some nods to the AMC series and engraving it on the lid of a glass casket-shaped box, I handmade a set of wooden runes (while rewatching Interview season 1) as a nod to Lisa’s mother who departed in April. I knew nothing of runes and arranged them randomly (or so I thought) but evidently I unintentionally gave a reading with them. But I’ll leave the results of that reading for the couple.
The only thing that could be interpreted as a goof was that both mics from both videographers recording this moment went out at the moment of the proposal. But I took that as an opportunity to record an Interview with them after and ended up with some truly beautiful sound bites for their video. And when we got together the next day so I could show them to Anne’s tomb, Max said they decided it was exactly how it was supposed to be- the audio went out only when the words they said to each other were spoken, just as the audio fades out while a particular couple is talking in a scene at the end of season 2. Like I said: fated.
4. Most Over-the-top Proposal Reaction
Tie: Tianna and Tanae’s Princess and the Frog Proposal and Martin and Jordan’s Antique Sale Proposal
Just like 2023, 2024’s most screaming-crying-throwing-up reactions are a tie!
First we have Tianna and Tanae’s Princess and the Frog inspired proposal at Derbes Mansion. Princess and the Frog is Tanae’s favorite movie (how fitting her fiancé shares a name with the movie’s Princess!) and Tianna wanted to create an experience that felt like stepping into their favorite scene from the movie. But even with a jazz band playing “Ma Belle Evangeline” (which the couple was singing along to) and a custom-made lightbox based off of the movie with their initials in it, Tanae still thought Tianna was playing a trick when she got down on one knee. (Apparently, Tianna had been taking many opportunities to kneel in front of Tanae to mess with her at various times for months already!). But Tianna’s sweet speech and ring reveal turned the disbelief into a happy “yes!”
Next we have Martin and Jordan’s fake antique sale proposal. Yep, you read that correctly! We lured Jordan into the proposal location with a sign advertising an estate sale since Jordan loves antiquing. We needed a ruse Martin knew for sure she would be willing to stop for. Once inside the “sale” she would be greeted by an Estate Salesperson, Martin would draw Jordan’s attention to an antique gramophone, and the salesperson would demonstrate it for them. We had originally wanted Martin to crank up the old record player and for it to play a record with their song on it. But unfortunately, Hozier doesn’t come pressed on 78’s. So I rigged the gramophone’s arm to hover on top of the record and had the Salesperson operate it so we could practice the cues. Once the salesperson “set” the needle on the record, I’d start the song on a bluetooth speaker inside the gramophone (complete with record crackling sounds I edited onto it). As the song started to play, the Expert team posed as other sale shoppers would move a few room dividers to reveal a romantic proposal setup with hundreds of candles and pink hydrangeas, Jordan’s favorite flower (which were, of course, impossible to find! So I spray painted white ones pink and not even my team could tell they didn’t arrive in that color!).
Everything went down exactly as we planned. To say Jordan was shocked would be an understatement! Much like Tanae’s reaction, Jordan’s was filled with shrieking and profanity and I loved every last second of it (my own reaction to a proposal would also be laced with profanity tbh). She asked Martin if he was fu**ing with her even after he was down on one knee with a big ole rock waiting for her finger. She told me after that when she walked into the “sale” she thought it was an awfully small estate sale and she could also tell the gramophone wasn’t playing exactly right which was a bit sus. But it all happened so fast she had zero time to put the pieces together. Which is exactly what we were aiming for.
Because I love a handmade keepsakes and we didn’t get to actually play a Hozier record, I turned one into a one of a kind keepsake for them to display one day in their newlywed home. That part was a surprise even to Martin.
5. Most Dreamy Proposal
Jacob and Amanda’s Bookstore Proposal
There’s nothing I love more than making proposal magic happen for nerds. Give me your geeks, bring me your book worms, throw all those niche interests in my direction and let’s make a dream proposal come to life!
Jacob was dreaming of proposing to Amanda inside of one of New Orleans’ many darling little bookstores. I scouted many shops around town for one that would have the right vibe as well as logistical possibilities. We needed a bookstore that was picturesque and had good light. It needed to have space for me to place the couple and get far enough away to stay hidden while getting a good shot. I brought the best options to Jacob and he loved the same place I did- Octavia Books.
The biggest hurdle here was that Amanda was 100% going to be expecting a proposal that day. She wanted to wear a specific dress when she got proposed to- a dreamy Silke dress- and is the type of person who likes a heads up before big things happen. But Jacob still wanted to make it a bit of a surprise. So we devised a photoshoot ruse that would get them in the area and then put them at the bookstore “unexpectedly” (that dang photographer of theirs bailed last minute, how rude!) to kill time. While perusing the books, Jacob would “find” a book with a title that was sure to get the “wait, hold on…” wheels spinning for Amanda. And even if that didn’t, the inscription on the first page certainly would. And just as she’s starting to put it together, he would take a knee.
And that’s exactly what we did!
I designed a custom book jacket for the keepsake book. And because I might be the most extra person alive, I spackled and painted over the title of an existing hardcover book I thrifted (it was something about business blah blah but it was spine was the right color!). After gluing the book’s pages together, I customized the first page with the message Jacob wanted her to find, and had the dust jacket professionally printed.
The couple arrived at the shop right on time and I carefully snuck in after them, moving around the shop with the stealth of my Yorkie mix trying to steal pizza off of my plate. I had to duck into corners and quickly dart out of site several times! Jacob knew exactly where to look for the book and he led Amanda to the shelf and pulled out the book. While it ended up being far sunnier in that corner than I expected, the light added to the ethereal feel of the photos.
Unlike the reactions in the previous category, Amanda’s understated reaction may lead you to believe she wasn’t surprised. But while Amanda certainly knew Jacob would propose that day, she said she 100% did not expect it at the bookstore. Mission accomplished!
6. Most Goth Proposal
Liam and Kaity’s Romantic Goth Proposal
When you have a goth girlfriend you’ve gotta give her a goth proposal! Rose petals and pillar candles aren’t going to cut it for your spooky cutie who loves all things dark and esoteric. When working on a goth proposal, I like to draw inspiration from their favorite movies. It gives a good direction to go in for decor design. In Kaity’s case, she loves Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. While I’d done a Corpse Bride themed picnic before, Liam was dreaming of something bigger.
Liam wanted to create a vibe reminiscent of the Corpse Bride scene where Victor unwittingly marries Emily in the woods. We went with a palm-reading ruse to get her into the stunning location. But the doors opened to reveal a hauntingly romantic scene- fog rolled along the ground and autumn leaves crackled under the couple’s feet, a coffin-shaped chalkboard sign conveyed a message from the Corpse Bride, an aisle lined with candelabras, apothecary jars housing spooky oddities, black taper candles, and and hand-painted black roses led to an arch adorned with black and purple roses, and black “spooky trees” I made for the occasion. Black lace was draped everywhere possible and on a table under the arch waited a coffin shaped ring box I handmade for the couple.
Liam led Kaity to stand in front of the arch where he then retrieved the ring awaiting inside her keepsake box. After she said yes, cheers rained down from the choir loft where their families were hiding! One last surprise to topple the whole thing goth affair right over the top.
7. Most Dramatic Proposal
Mallory and Andy’s Noisician Coalition Proposal
This one had several firsts! The first proposal planned entirely by a woman who was proposing to a man. And the first proposal I planned for a friend!
I have known Mallory since… goodness… 2008? We met when I photographed and then later joined the ragtag group of misfit musicians, the Noisician Coalition (Noiseco, for short). We made a joyful noise all around New Orleans for a solid ten years before the group largely went defunct. But even though we were donning our corsets and banging on trash can drums in the middle of Mardi Gras parades anymore, many of us are still friends and our lives continue to interweave in the most wonderful ways.
Mallory is one such Noisician who I’ve kept in touch with and when she contacted me about photographing her Mardi Gras Day elopement to her then-boyfriend, Andy (a writer who makes really endearing stop-motion videos out of clay robots he creates), I was all-in. And more-so, I was all in to help her plan a surprise proposal for him! While they were technically already engaged, there had been no formal proposal. And with a couple of weirdos like those two, we had the opportunity to get SUPER dramatic.
It was only natural that we’d enlist the help of the Noisician Coalition to pull off this surprise. Andy and Mallory met because of Noiseco and as a group, we hadn’t paraded or crashed any parties in years. It was the perfect opportunity to invite a handful of Noisicians to dust off their megaphones, squeeze into their old costumes, and turn up the noise for a couple we could all get behind.
Mallory and I met to envision just how absurd this would be. We would get the help of their officiant (and fellow Noisician, Andrea Heming to get them to where Mallory wanted to stage the proposal- in front of B Mike’s “Light” Mural in the Bywater.Once they were passing the mural, they would be stopped by two “time travelers” from the future who would hand them earplugs because the “Noisening is nigh!” And then a big red van would appear, Noisicians would jump out the back and surround Andy, the time travelers would abscond with Mallory into the van which would then drive around the parking lot to a designated spot while Mallory did a quick change in the back. When she was ready, she would get out of the van on the side facing away from Andy. The Noisicians would part as the van drove away revealing Mallory holding a giant golden key (the key to her heart, of course). After she got the “yes!” they’d go right on back to noisening and the time travelers would appear once again to pop off confetti cannons filled with (biodegradable) red heart confetti.
And even though there were a ton of moving parts, we pulled it off perfectly! Andy was indeed very surprised and he accepted the key to Mallory’s heart without hesitation. We saved a couple of cannons to pop off during a few portraits after and I can’t ever get enough of looking at these photos- old friends, lives so very different than when we once spent a lot of time together, getting the band back together in the name of love.
8. Most Fun Proposal
George and Amber’s Cemetery Tour Proposal
While George is typically a detail-oriented planner, he needed help putting together something that was next level; something that would be worthy of his witchy girlfriend, Amber, after being together more than ten years.
George really liked the southern oak tree aesthetic AND he wanted his witchy wife-to-be to have the cemetery proposal (we’d later learn) she was secretly hoping for. He wanted there to be musicians and rose petals, but we needed a creative way to make that happen so it wouldn't be a dead giveaway (pun intended), and also so cemetery staff wouldn't possibly raise some eyebrows and give us the dirty old boot. We dug in for a while and I eventually did what I always do inevitably on a long call- got up to refill my water glass and was struck with THE idea.
We’d go on a cemetery tour! Instead of just pretending to go to on a tour and instead arrive at a proposal, we would hire a real fake tour guide, have real fake tour guests (including me and my partner!), and go on a real fake tour of the cemetery. This idea was perfect because it allowed us to incorporate all the elements George wanted without arousing suspicion and keep the ruse legit right up until the very last second- making the surprise, well, surprising!
After the tour walked for a few cemetery blocks, we would encounter a string duo practicing in the park. The tour guide would point out that he knows them and ask if they would play a song for us. They would agree and would then start playing their own version of "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. That would be the cue for me and my partner to drop back and start shooting photos and video, and for the other tour guests to spread rose petals around the couple. Then everyone but the couple and musicians (and me, of course) would scamper away. Then George would take a knee and propose!
And that’s exactly what we did.
This one was the most fun because I actually got to be a part of the ruse- and not just in the typical “I hired a photographer to do couples photos but now I’m proposing” way. I got to pretend to be a tourist, go on the tour, hear the hilarious things the “guide” had to say, and when the time came, snapped into proposal photographer mode. It was also the very first proposal for Cat who has become an important member of the Expert team. Which made it all the more special.
Amber absolutely loved it and I may or may not have had a group chat going between the three of us ever since. (read more about this fun one here!)
9. Most Sentimental Proposal
Jordan and Leah’s Swiftie Proposal
Jordan and I started working on her proposal to Leah months in advance- not long after she and Leah had moved to Baton Rouge. New to the area, she needed help planning a surprise for Leah. But since she lived so close she was able to contribute some hand-made elements that she and her friends made for the proposal!
It was set for June and we wanted a space that would be private and hopefully and we could cool with fans (if anybody over at Shark wants to sponsor me, I cool a lot of proposals with your near-silent fans!). So we picked a magical Bywater courtyard for the proposal. Leah is a Swiftie and Jordan wanted to incorporate T-Swift elements, including the song “Paper Rings” without it feeling like a 13 year-old’s birthday party.
So I designed a backdrop of candles, baby pink and blue drapes to match the “Lover” album cover, and gold picture frames (a lyric from the song) to suspend from trees inside which we’d string paper origami rings Jordan and her friends would spend countless hours making. To bring in a touch of Jordan’s goth personality to the proposal, we included a small table draped in black lace where a custom-engraved box would be waiting with the ring. The design Jordan decided on was a combination of their two astrological signs.
We created a ruse of a tarot reading to get them into the yard. My assistant (Cat from the cemetery proposal!) would meet them at the gate and hand off a mic to Jordan. And As soon as they made it into the courtyard Leah would see the trail of pink and white rose petals (interspersed with paper rings!) and know this was no tarot reading. While we had batted around the idea of having a musician perform “Paper Rings” Jordan ultimately decided against it. Which was a smart move- Leah had proposed to Jordan a few weeks before and used that exact song! We went with a playlist of instrumental covers Jordan put together. It ended up being the perfect soundtrack for this sweet and sentimental proposal.
And after she said “yes!” we brought out a bottle of champagne with a custom label I made for the couple, a finishing touch on a perfect evening.
10. Most Aquatic Proposal
Andrew and Madeline’s Audubon Aquarium Proposal
When Andrew contacted me about proposing to his girlfriend, Madeline, I knew instantly that I wanted to work with him. What really caught my attention was his desire to incorporate personal touches. He had been saving photos and mementos from their entire seven-year relationship and created a scrapbook for Madeline. This is the exact kind of sentimentality and thoughtfulness I love to incorporate into proposal designs. He also mentioned her love for marine life-sea turtles specifically- and I knew before we ever spoke that he simply had to propose at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans. And it turns out, he completely agreed.
We had just under a month to make this happen and I got right to work! We decided on the Gulf Room, with its massive tank and resident sea turtle, Midas, as the perfect backdrop for the proposal. The ruse would be a private tour of the aquarium, culminating in a surprise "cocktail reception" in the Gulf Room. They had gone on a similar tour on a visit to New York so it was completely on brand for them. After the proposal, while we were off taking portraits in the aquarium, my team would whisk away to the tunnel and set up a table with Andrew's handmade scrapbook along with a bottle of champagne and charcuterie spread. And because no proposal is complete without a finishing touch of Lady magic, Andrew wanted a handmade element for Madeline to take home. We decided on a beautiful layered wood wall hanging featuring hydrangeas (her favorite flower) and, of course, a sea turtle.
On the day of the proposal, my team had 45 minutes to set everything up between the aqurium’s closing time and the tour’s arrival at the Gulf Room. We got it done with time to spare! As Andrew and Madeline approached the end of their tour, one of my assistants ushered them towards the “cocktail reception” in the Gulf Room. The rest of the tour hung back and as soon as I could hear my assistant nearing the Gulf Room, I hit play on "How Deep Is Your Love" by the Bee Gees and an emotional proposal began.
I won’t lie, photographing against the backlight of that tank was not easy! I won’t use flash for proposals- aside from the fact it would have reflected off of the tank, it’s way too distracting for a moment like this. I’d rather battle it out in post than intrude like some sort of paparazzi. But the glow of the tank gave the images an ethereal quality I really loved. And my friend Dmitry stopped by to create a polaroid for the couple which he left with the scrapbook for them to find once we reached the tunnel- a brand new memory to add to their book.
11. Most Sweet Proposal
Jim and Bella’s Chocolate Shop Proposal
Where do you take a Belgian and his interior decorating girlfriend for a proposal in New Orleans? Why, to a chocolate shop, of course!
Jim knew that Bella would be very particular about the aesthetics of her proposal decor if we were to set something up. He also knew that she would want her proposal to be 100% private. We looked at a bunch of different locations and nothing was really doing it for Jim. That is, until I showed him Piety & Desire Chocolate.
Piety & Desire is the lovechild of some very old friends (and former neighbor/landlords!). It’s a sweet little chocolate cafe in the middle of a busy section of Magazine street in the Lower Garden District. Its mismatched vintage furniture and eclectic decor are a perfect reflection of the personalities that opened it together- and make all of the insanely good chocolate within. And since said owners and I go way back, they were game to stay open late one evening the weekend before Christmas to let me work my magic.
Jim would get Bella there by killing time before a late dinner reservation and stopping into some of the other shops in the area. Since he’s a piano virtuoso, I asked for him to record some Christmas songs that I could have playing when they arrive (turns out, Bella had been asking him to do this for some time already!). They’d order chocolate and coffee from the counter and then sit in the designated spots. Their order would be delivered to them on a slate tray (staying on brand with the slate display trays they use at the shop!) that would be engraved with a message for Bella. While she was looking at the tray, Jim would get out the ring and bam! The proposal was on! And to personalize it just a little bit more, I had Jim send some photos that illustrated different parts of their relationship for me to have printed and hang up behind the proposal spot.
And this is exactly what happened! I did nearly miss the moment because it happened SO fast and I had to stay completely hidden until the tray was delivered (it would be rather obvious if I was just hanging out with two massive cameras harnessed to me inside a quiet cafe). But I managed to capture THE moment and all of the wonderfully sweet moments that followed.
12. Most Spontaneous Proposal
Jesse and Kayleigh’s Jackson Square Proposal
Jesse and Kayleigh are Australians who were taking a US vacation in the Spring. They’d been together nearly 11 years and Jesse had been holding on to a ring for her for quite some time. He originally planned on proposing at the Grand Canyon. But just two stops on their grand US tour, Jesse found himself with a very different idea. As soon as he stepped foot in the the French Quarter he knew he had to pop the question here.
He reached out to me one morning and asked if I could help him plan a proposal for later that afternoon! I’m not one to shy away from a challenge so I signed up. He hid in the stairwell of their hotel to plan while Kayleigh napped and we quickly formed a classic flower-chucking scenario for his fiancé-to-be. Within the next few hours, I found us flower chuckers, sourced a few small bottles of champagne to chill, and rustled enough roses to pluck petals from. Then we all went down to Jackson Square and had the best time!
While the couple looked out over Jackson Square (which was bizarrely empty!), my team surrounded them with rose petals and dashed away as Jesse took a knee. There was no possible way Kayleigh saw it coming because, well, Jesse barely did! We had a lot of fun taking portraits before I sent them off on their Natchez sunset cruise. A proposal planned and executed in under 6 hours is probably a record for me and the team!
13. Most Esoteric Proposal
Tim and Kim’s Tarot Reading Proposal
I have wanted to do a tarot card reading proposal for quite a while. I was just waiting for the right couple to come along who would want it! I finally got the chance in May of 2024.
Tim wanted to propose to Kim under the Tree of Life but she was not the kind of girl to go for red roses. We decided to give her a real tarot card reading with a twist- the tarot deck would have a special card with a message for her to turn around! Just as the card was unveiled (inside a custom-engraved tarot card box, of course) a violinist would emerge from behind the tree playing their song. And Kim would turn to see Tim down on one knee.
To bring this vision to life, my team and I brought some huge metal candelabras, antique tables and chairs, loads of candles, and a bunch of fun esoteric accoutrement out to the tree. The tree was devoid of tourists which was amazing. But it was vacant because it was raining! And while we had a plan B, it was so windy that the second location would have been just as wet. We held off as long as we could and when the rain slacked enough to move we moved. FAST. This pushed us behind schedule a bit but that really only made for even more dramatic proposal lighting. Which is exactly what we wanted.
The couple arrived,I played the part of clueless tourist, and my dear friend and excellent Tarot Reader Celeste Mott got a reading started. She unveiled the box- engraved with two skeleton’s in an embrace (an image from The Lover’s tarot card, half of which each member of this couple has tattooed on them)- and asked Kim to open the box and get out the deck. But what she found was the surprise card right on top (another handmade touch by yours truly) and turned to see Tim down on one knee, ring in hand. Our trusty violinist, Sam, emerged from behind the tree and the proposal went down exactly as planned! Kim got to get a real tarot reading after, too, framed by the most stunning sunset.
14. Most Romantic Proposal
Mitchell and Nicole’s Derbes Mansion Proposal
Mitchell and Nicole are yet another known-each-other-since-they-were-kids couple for 2024. They met in high school and forged a friendship that would last until college when they finally started dating. Now, four years later, and about to finish grad school as a robotics engineer, Mitchell was ready to take the next step. The duality of their relationship- once friends and now partners- may have been a part of why Mitchell wanted two separate locations for his proposal. Or it could just be me waxing poetic. Either way- I was able to deliver precisely what he was looking for.
He contacted me with a vision much more clear than your average proposer- he wanted to propose at a mansion in New Orleans that had two gazebos. One gazebo would be setup for the proposal itself while the other would host a celebratory romantic dinner for two. As fate would have it, I had literally just worked out an exclusive deal to plan proposals at Derbes Mansion- a beautiful, historic home on Bayou road that has, you guessed it, not one but two gazebos.
We would have a violonist waiting at the back gazebo for when the couple arrived, thinking they were going to a charity event. The gazebo would be decorated with yellow drapes and bows, a nod to their song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon” (which would be played by the violinist upon their arrival, naturally). Inside the gazebo would be a ring of candles around a yellow rug (2024 was the year of adding rugs to proposals!). And on the steps of the gazebo would be hundreds of daisies in glass vases, Nicole’s favorite flower.
But just as she thought the surprises were done and the violinist had gone, I would lead them to the front gazebo and reveal a second surprise: cheese and champagne (a bottle with a custom label, of course!) under romantic lighting and white drapes, with a violin serenade.
It all went according to plan, including the couple taking a route that wouldn’t lead them past the front setup so I was able to play the reveal exactly as we had hoped. Mitchell and Nicole were the sweetest, most playful couple. The friendship underlying their romance made for a strong relationship that shined through in their photos.
15. Most Planty Proposal
Ben and Elyce’s Plant Sale Proposal
Ben was nearly five years into his relationship with his college sweetheart, Elyce, when he contacted me about his plan to propose to her. He was more than sure she was the woman he wanted to marry- in fact, he’d known he wanted to marry her ever since their very first date. He wanted to propose at the Botanical Gardens. But after learning of her deep love for houseplants, I pitched him a proposal masquerading as a plant sale!
Ben wanted to include a special element of surprise in his proposal- a recording of Elyce’s father giving him his blessing. He wanted to not only honor her family but also create a moment that he knew would throw Elyce for a loop.
The plan was for Ben and Elyce to visit the botanical gardens before heading to a plant sale they’d heard was happening after the Gardens closed. The plant saleswoman, a key ally in our elaborate plan, had an important part to play. She'd start talking up this exotic, new hybrid plant that her company had recently acquired, boasting of its rarity and offering to show them a video they had just put together to showcase its unique qualities. She’d hand Elyce an ipad, hit play, and just as the video gets going, it would cut to the recording of her dad. After her dad’s message was over, Ben would lead Elyce to a spot we picked out and pop the question!
We got hit by a massive downpour the day before the proposal. Our plan A spot was a no-go; it was muddy and even the sidewalk was flooded. But that’s why we had a plan B! The Peristyle can be unpredictable. You just never know who might be hanging out there. But on this cloudy, slightly rainy day, it was completely empty- except for some leftover crawfish heads we had to clean up. And this is why I always keep a broom in my car!
As Ben and Elyce showed up, my assistant and I were already in place. She was pretending to check out plants at the sale, and I was hiding behind a pillar, taking sneaky shots. When the big moment came, and Elyce was watching the video, everything just flowed exactly as planned. Ben was smooth as ever, dropping his jacket to the ground and kicking it under the table while the video played. Her reaction was more than I could have hoped for- huge smiles with her head thrown back in laughter. After the video was over, Ben took the ipad from her and lead her to the proposal spot we had picked out. And as if on cue, the sun broke through the clouds right as she said yes. It was yet another perfectly cinematic proposal!
Looking back on the year, one thing is abundantly clear: there is no right or wrong way to propose! It is completely possible for every proposal to be unique. All you need is someone willing to put in the extra effort it takes to tailor the experience exclusively for you.
So, what do you say? Ready to get on the “best of” list for 2025?