Love is in the air
There is no doubt that COVID-19 has been devastating and presented many challenges for everyone, including couples with plans to get engaged or married. Once the borders were closed, a lot of proposers had to re-think their plans. Many have chosen to propose closer to home, but many also decided to postpone altogether. Despite the obstacles, love doesn’t have to be canceled. Proposals and weddings can still go ahead — you just have to get a bit creative!
Put a ring on it!
We recently spoke to jewelry retailer Blue Nile to share our best tips and advice for planning a romantic wedding proposal during the pandemic.
The first thing to consider is the location. If you were planning to pop the question at a popular tourist attraction or public place, it may be closed temporarily or have restricted access. If you are still planning on travelling to propose, you should be sure to check COVID-19 related closures and current protocols. Many places may require masks or gloves.
Should I propose in our hometown?
Proposing closer to home is always a nice idea. It opens the door to having a small celebratory gathering after proposing with close friends and family. Currently, many of our customers are choosing to propose in their hometowns at locations that hold a special meaning for them, which is really lovely.
Book a proposal photographer in your hometown
And just because you won’t be celebrating your special day in a far flung destination, it doesn’t mean you can’t capture the moment. Booking a photographer is a great way to capture these special moments, especially at the moment when your friends and family may not be able to be physically present. By using a photographer you will have a set of stunning images to share with your nearest and dearest so they can join on your big moment.
How can I plan a physically distanced engagement photo shoot?
As the safety of our customers and photographers is and always will be a priority, our Proposal Specialists work closely with both the person proposing and the photographer so that we come up with the best custom-made plan and location for their special moment. Because it’s essential that our photographers shoot at least six feet away from anyone, we offer a strategy called “Fly on The Wall.” This strategy allows for the photographer to capture the proposal moment from a distance by waiting for the customer’s cue that tells them they are ready to propose.
Take a look at some of our recent proposals which have been incredibly special, even during the pandemic.
Los Angeles, California
February 14th, 2020
Noah & Nathali
Love Story: “Nathali and I met when she first started at UCLA in 2014 and we got close on a service trip in Jamaica. We remained close for the next 4 years and it wasn’t until we went to my company’s holiday party “as friends” that we realized we wanted to be something more. Every day since then has been better than the last, and I can’t wait to spend forever together.“
Proposal Story: “The proposal really went better than I could have imagined! I had put together a memory chest of a bunch of nostalgic items from our relationship. Pamphlets from concerts and shows we’ve gone to, rocks from parks we’ve camped in, notes we’ve written to each other, and mementos from too many hilarious nights to count. She had thought that the chest was just a Valentine’s Day gift, but when we got to the end, I pulled out the ring to represent all of the memories we still have to make. As if the sunset backdrop wasn’t enough, there was hardly anyone on the pier and there was a ukulele player cycling through every classic love song in the book. Couldn’t have imagined a better backdrop!
Flytographer Dipan got amazing shots of our proposal and made the process fun the whole time! He is quick to become your friend during the shoot and uses the perfect balance of providing guidance while also letting you do your own thing. Both the photos that he took while hidden and during the photoshoot afterwards are incredible and I know that we will look back at them for years to come. Thanks for capturing the best day of our lives!“
– Noah
New York City, New York
March 9, 2020
Jennifer & Rebecca
Love Story: “We met online! Our distance was outside of each other’s app search parameters, so we’re still not sure how we got lucky enough to match. I realized I was in love with Becca after about 6 months of dating when we went to NYC for Pride. I proposed in Christopher Park in NYC, the site of the Stonewall Riots in 1969 that marked the beginning of the modern gay rights movement and current location of the yearly pride festivities. I fell in love with her beautiful eyes, sense of humor, confidence and care-taking nature to her friends and family.”
Proposal Moment: “I got her to Greenwich Village by saying we were doing an LGBT history walking tour. Once in the park, our photographer pretended to be associated with the tour and I asked him to take a picture of us while we waited for the tour to start so he could block us out in a good spot. Immediately after I got into position and onto one knee. I was so nervous and I think my partner and I both blacked out a little while it was happening!
Johnny was great to work with. He was very responsive to texts and emails during the planning phase. He had great ideas about where to take pictures and they came out lovely.’
– Jennifer
Tampa, Florida
April 11, 2020
Robert & Fatima
“I was originally going to propose in Puerto Rico but had to cancel because of COVID-19. Ended up proposing at an empty hotel along Clearwater Beach. The GM at Opal Sands at Clearwater Beach set everything up. We had the entire back pool and bar area to ourselves overlooking the gulf of Mexico at sunset. He also threw in a free room for the night and we were some of the only guests there that night. Our Flytographer Andrejka was great. She was very easy to work with, open to all of my ideas, and gave great advice. I would highly recommend her.”
– Robert
If you are hoping to pop the question to your soul mate and want to capture the moment to savour for years to come, chat to our friendly team about how we can make this a reality for you, even during this challenging time. We have experienced local photographers in over 325 cities around the globe.
