When a couple decide to get engaged, the traditional “get on one knee” is part of many cultures, and is very important. It’s a big moment in a couple’s life and that’s why I’m so incredibly thankful to be a professional surprise proposal photographer in Nice, France. The opportunity to work with couples, and capture this very important and emotional moment in their lives fills me with joy. An engagement on the French Riviera is so special, and so is an engagement photoshoot.
Planning the Surprise Proposal
A surprise proposal refers to the moment when one member of a couple generally gets on one knee and asks their beloved to marry them. This is a time honored tradition. The other person may or may not be aware their loved one is going to propose marriage to them, it’s likely its been discussed, so in that fashion it’s not a complete “surprise” but in that moment it’s absolutely a surprise, because that person does not know when or where their loved one will ask for their hand in marriage.
The moments after the person says yes to the proposal, are considered the engagement period, and everything that happens after that is the engagement, when a couple has formally agreed to get married. As an English speaking engagement photographer serving the French Riviera in France, I love to help couples, usually men, but sometimes women too, plan their surprise proposal in Nice, France.
Many men have decided to skip the cliché surprise marriage proposal idea in Paris, with a view of the Eiffel Tower, and instead do something completely different. Nice, France, the fifth largest city in France, is packed with tons to do, great restaurants and places to stay, and a beautiful view of the Mediterranean Sea, right at the edge of the city. It’s a city on the water, drawing visitors all over the world. Whats more, Nice has excellent transportation connections, which allows for visiting of other towns on the Riviera like Cannes, Antibes, Monaco, Menton and more, it’s very easy to get around and enjoy the incredible beauty of the Riviera!
Usually, my clients come to me with a vision, and when in Nice, most of my clients have the idea that they’d like to propose with a view of the sea (we don’t call it an ocean in France, as it’s classed as a sea). Some clients choose to propose in the morning, some in the late afternoon, so they can take their loved one to dinner and it’s a good excuse for them to be dressed up a bit and have their hair and makeup done. But time of day is completely up to the client.
Mornings are better if you prefer fewer people out and about, evenings are busy. Nice has a lot of tourists, 5 million people visit Nice each year. Therefore, a completely private outdoor proposal location isn’t always possible, but there are many choices.
This is where it gets tricky for my clients, especially if you have no idea what Nice looks like and have never been. I’m not only a photographer, but I help my clients plan as well. In this case, I was contacted by Tom, who lives in the USA, he was referred to me by another amazing client I photographed in Paris. Referrals are so important to me, and I’m so thankful for them!
Tom told me he was traveling with his lovely girlfriend Chais, and had family traveling with them, too. While they’d been together a while, and had discussed marriage, he wanted to do something very special for her, but told me it wouldn’t be a surprise to her at all, that she was expecting it.
Again, your loved one doesn’t know where or when their proposal is going to happen! It always takes their breath away!
After reviewing several beautiful locations with views of the sea in Nice, Tom settled on a beautiful view from a public park called the Colline du Chateau. This is a tourist attraction in Nice, because it’s a calm and peaceful park, with amazing views of the marina, the beach, and the old town, depending on where you’re standing. It’s also known in English as Castle Hill.
There are many views from Castle Hill, Tom chose one of my favorites. In the late afternoon, it would afford a beautiful view of the sea and marina, all Tom had to do was get her there!
The Arrival and Big Moment
The days leading up to the proposal were fraught with worry, on my part at least. Heavy storms with hail were forecast for the day of Tom’s proposal. It was looking really bad! I normally can’t move around my appointments, as I’m so busy with other clients, but in this case, I asked Tom if he had any other days he could propose. This isn’t always possible as people are on tight schedules. Tom decided that he’d propose anyway and just hope the weather would cooperate.
What do you do if it rains? While we won’t proceed in stormy conditions, rain, while not the most pleasant, offers very magical and unique moments. An umbrella is all you need, and you’ll need one to walk around anyway. It’s really romantic to propose in the rain, and some of my favorite proposals have been in the rain. It’s not something to fear, but be aware of.
On this day, there were storms and it did rain, but by late afternoon the clouds had parted, and now it was super sunny and warm, with lots of humidity. I’d sent Tom directions on where to meet, and we’d set the time. I got there early, and scouted out the situation. There were tourists taking photos, but it wasn’t too bad.
Then I saw a cute couple walking toward me, and I thought, wow, if they’re not getting engaged, they should! Turns out, it was Tom and Chais, Tom gave me a little wink so I knew it was him (we usually exchange photos ahead of time), and walked Chais to the fencing to have a look at the view.
Then, when he was ready, he faced Chais, and got on one knee, asking her to marry him. Despite the fact she knew sometime they’d get engaged, and maybe even on this trip, she was still surprised and overcome with emotion.
Tom presented her a family heirloom diamond that had been beautifully set in a modern band and she loved it. They hugged, then I introduced myself and of course, congratulated them!
A Mini Engagement Session to Follow the Surprise Proposal
Its always seemed a bit odd as a surprise proposal photographer to just capture the moment someone is on one knee, and that’s that. That’s why I love to offer my clients a mini engagement session in the immediate area to capture the love, joy and other emotions they’re feeling in this moment. After all, this will never happen again, like this, in this place, so why not capture it and enjoy it forever?
I absolutely loved meeting Chais and hearing about their love story, as we wandered around Castle Hill and then a bit around the old town. Their happiness was infectious!
Meeting the Family
At the end of the mini engagement session, Tom and Chais met up with their family to have celebratory drinks at Blast, an American bar, and even invited me to join. I was so honored! What a spectacular day it was!
Kind Words from Tom
Tom left some incredibly kind words on his Google Review:
Booking Karina for a surprise engagement photo shoot was worth every penny! We could not be happier with our experience working with Karina and most importantly how the photos turned out!
From the moment I reached out inquiring about her services, she was so quick to respond and was extremely flexible and accommodating despite her busy schedule and the time difference. Karina made the process of deciding on a specific location for the engagement extremely easy as she provided multiple site locations and examples of what the setting would look like. Once she helped me narrow down the location for my engagement she provided great advice and direction on getting to the specific location, ensuring the proposal went off without a hitch.
On the days leading up to the engagement, Karina kept in close contact, notifying me about the potential for some bad weather on the scheduled date and even provided some potential contingency plans if the weather did not cooperate including the flexibility to change the engagement date if I felt it necessary which really helped calm my nerves knowing she would help make the engagement work no matter the weather situation.
When it came time for the big moment, Karina provided very detailed instructions on how to get to the location and how to signal to her that we arrived. I couldn’t have imagined a better setting for the proposal and the pictures she captured of the moment were as perfect as the setting.
Post-proposal, Karina gave fantastic direction and advice for the subsequent photo shoot. She recommended great poses in some of the most beautiful backdrops. Karina is clearly a seasoned veteran photographer and every step of the way she displayed such.
What made things even better was how pleasant she was to chat with as we walked the streets of Nice to some of the different icon settings for the photos. She made us feel extremely comfortable and shoot was somewhat fun and that is coming from someone who hates to get there photos taken.
Overall, we honestly couldn’t have asked for a better experience from start to finish. We would recommend Karina’s services to anyone looking for a photographer.
These kind words mean so much to me!
Karina Leigh Photography
If you’re proposing to the one you love, and would love not only gorgeous images to capture the moment, but a kind, energetic and helpful American engagement photographer in France to work with, ask questions of and collaborate with, don’t hesitate to reach out!
