CHARLOTTESVILLE SURPRISE PROPOSALS
Timeless Imagery.
A Luxury Experience.
From the initial planning through the engagement images themselves, as your surprise proposal photographers, our hearts are to honor you and your partner's proposal, showcase your love story, and make getting engaged as fun as possible! We strive to capture the emotions of the moment, whether you're getting engaged in the Charlottesville, VA area or around the world! And we do this with a fun and carefree experience.
Let us take the stress out of getting engaged!
Let's face it, getting engaged can be stressful. And that goes double if you're trying to surprise your partner/best friend/person you tell everything to! That's where we come in. After photographing more than 50 surprise proposals, we know how to capture beautiful engagement imagery without tipping off even the most skeptical partner. Keep scrolling to learn more about a surprise engagement experience with us!
Hunter and Sarah made the engagement photo experience as stress-free as possible and helped to make the day absolutely perfect... I cannot recommend working with them enough!
- David and Sarah, past surprise proposal clients... and future wedding couple.
The journey from “stressed about my proposal” to “we're your surprise engagement photographers” begins with a simple step: drop us a line below, and don’t be shy! We can’t wait to hear from you!
01. Contact Us
Once we hear from you, we'll gather a few simple details via email, then send you a customized quote. No tricks, no fees, and no high-pressure sales tactics. If you'd like to move forward with us as your Charlottesville proposal photographers, just reply to that email!
02. Book
Let our experience planning and photographing 50+ surprise proposals go to work for you! We'll help you think through time, date, location, and even where to stand to get the most out of your Charlottesville engagement photos.
03. Let's Plan
With our professional camera gear stashed in a purse or hidden beneath our jackets, we'll be in place 15 minutes before you two arrive, disguised as just another couple hanging out at the park or vineyard or restaurant.
04. Hiding In Plain Sight
When the moment finally comes for you to get down on one knee, we'll spring into action, discreetly capturing your surprise proposal from two distinct angles. One of us will focus on your partner's reaction, while the other photographers a wider shot that features you both!
05. The Surprise
Once the rush is over (and your partner notices those two strangers with cameras), we'll say a quick hello, give a couple of hugs, then back away to give you two a few moments to yourselves. (This is time to answer all of the, "How did you...?!" and "Does ___ know about this?!" questions!)
06. Take a Deep Breath
You're engaged! And while we've captured a small handful of images from the proposal itself, the experience isn't over. We'll give you a bit more direction during an engagement mini-session for just 15-30 minutes after the surprise!
07. Engagement Mini-Session
Within 24 hours (usually before we go to bed the night of your proposal), you'll have a full online gallery of retouched digital images waiting for you in your email inbox! That way, you can announce to the world with our professional images.
08. Same-Day Delivery
As much as we love being surprise proposal photographers, we're primarily wedding photographers! While there's zero obligation after the proposal, every year some of our proposal clients end up becoming wedding photography clients as well! But we won't get ahead of ourselves. The good news: we can chat about all of that after the proposal.
09. Stay in Touch!
Since our own Charlottesville proposal in 2016, we've known that no matter how busy we got as wedding photographers, we never wanted to stop capturing surprise engagements. Hunter can still remember how excited (nervous) he got every time he thought about the proposal in the weeks leading up to it. It would've been awesome if he had someone to walk him through the process the way that we do for each and every client who hires us to photograph their surprise engagement! Whether it's in Charlottesville VA or around the world!
Keep scrolling for more info on our services, or contact us below if you'd like to get a quote for your own surprise proposal.
We're Hunter and Sarah, Your Surprise Engagement Photogaphers!
As full-time professional wedding photographers, capturing couples in their happiest moments is our thing. And after photographing more than 50 surprise proposals, we've got it down to a science.
Surprise Proposal Images
SOME OF OUR FAVORITE
Your surprise engagement will go by in a blurr. Don't let this moment go undocumented!
Each proposal is unique, so we build a custom quote for each client. Our engagement couples typically spend between $750 and $1,200 with us.
Inquire here for your own custom quote!
Proposal Investment
Destination Engagement?
If you're getting engaged outside Central Virginia, don't count us out! We’re happy to provide you with a customized travel quote.
We know that you and your new fiancé(e) will be SO excited to see your proposal images, and share them with the world. That's why we'll deliver an online gallery of retouched digital images within 24 hours of your engagement!
With most surprise engagements, we're actually able to deliver the images within just a few hours, so you'll have photos to share before you go to bed!
We know that you won't be able to wait to see your engagement photos!
Same-Day Image Turnaround
Returning to the spot of your first date? Proposing on the front porch of the home you just purchased together? Proposing at dinner just before Christmas, surrounded by all your dearest family? Whatever making it personal looks like to you, we'd be honored to be included!
make it personal.
4.
We've captured everything from sunrise hikes to hot air balloon proposals! If you're dreaming of going BIG for your surprise engagement, let us know, and we'll dream big with you!
Go Big!
3.
If you're planning your proposal in the Charlottesville, VA area but aren't familiar with our town, don't hesitate to reach out for recommendations beyond the photoshoot! As local AirBnB hosts (and self-professed foodies), we're happy to make suggestions for accommodations, dinner reservations, and activities while in town.
make a trip out of it.
2.
Who would you and your partner want to share in the excitement of getting engaged?! While the proposal itself can be private, we'll help you coordinate and photograph a second surprise (after the engagement mini-session). We can photograph both candids of the hugs and tears, as well as family photos.
Invite the whole Family.
1.
Our couples have done some incredible things during their surprise proposals. Here are a few of our favorite ideas!
Our Favorite Proposal Ideas
“My fiancé and I are beyond happy with the photos Hunter and Sarah took! They were perfectly set up for the proposal and appeared as a sightseeing couple. We couldn’t be happier!”
- James & Brittany
“Hunter and Sarah were simply amazing! … They helped me plan engagement day logistics by offering detailed descriptions of the venue (plus a satellite map with stage directions!), what time of day to propose, and how to handle the arrival times of visiting family. They even coordinated with the managers of the venue... Oh and, did I mention… the photos came out fantastic!”
- Nick & Ashley
“They captured gorgeous photos of our surprise proposal and made the process super comfortable and fun. My fiancee was also super impressed by their help in preparing for the surprise. He said Hunter and Sarah were not only super flexible, but also quickly put together a Plan B.”
- Samantha & Devon
“Hunter and Sarah are AMAZING! They helped with everything we needed for our engagement from location, timing, even blog posts that helped us pick our outfits.”
- Bri & Quinn
Testimonials
Still have questions about working with us? We can't wait to hear from you!