How To Plan a Surprise Proposal at Ravens Roost Overlook in Virginia
Pulling off a surprise is tough. Surprising your best friend when asking them for a lifetime of commitment is on another level entirely. Most women have thought about their dream proposal even apart from all the pressures from social media to make it perfect. Don’t worry–I’m here to help! Let this surprise proposal at Ravens Roost Overlook be proof that planning a perfect (according to you!) surprise proposal is actually possible!
Planning a Surprise Proposal: Start With a Mindset Check
As we’ve already established, keeping a secret is never easy, especially when it’s from someone close to you. That’s what I’m here for! This experience of bringing your marriage proposal ideas to life doesn't have to be stressful. It’s my job to make the entire proposal planning process run smoothly and remain a secret. I cover everything from location scouting to timeline building, and even tips for getting her on board!
Making a surprise proposal happen falls completely to the guy so he will usually feel the bulk of the pressure. It begins with choosing the engagement ring, continues with keeping it a secret, and ends with actually asking. But, the truth is, there’s no such thing as a perfect proposal script that you have to follow. Instead, it’s defining what a perfect proposal looks like to you, and then being flexible! My #1 tip for planning anything whether it’s a proposal or a wedding day is that life doesn't always go as planned, but if you take it in stride, it will always be perfect.
“My #1 Tip for proposal planning is that life doesn’t always go as planned, but if you take it in stride, it will always be perfect.”
The recipe for an amazing marriage proposal is a couple, a question, and an excited answer! Everything else is just the cherry on top to a beautiful memory. The content of a marriage proposal speech and the surprise itself doesn't need a bunch of fluff and frills (unless that's your vibe!). Together, we’ll make your imperfect plan come to life like these two did at their Ravens Roost Overlook proposal!
How It All Comes Together: Steps To a Marriage Proposal
Getting started with your ideas for a marriage proposal begin with answering the questions of when, where, and most importantly, how? When Landyn reached out about needing a surprise proposal photographer, he had the great idea of having me ask Grace to model for me. I loved this plan!
After he tweaked his work schedule to match hers, I reached out to set it all in motion! He texted me almost daily the entire week leading up to the proposal to confirm details and express how excited he was! Landyn later shared that Grace noticed he was randomly texting someone all week and that she became low-key concerned.
On the day, my first stop was grabbing their favorite snacks and a little celebratory dessert to enjoy as a thank you for “modeling” for me. Next, we met up at Crucible Coffee Roasters since coffee is their favorite thing to experience in new places. Once we wrapped shooting some there, we then headed up to the Ravens Roost Overlook for the proposal!
One of the northern end Blue Ridge Parkway overlooks, Ravens Roost can be found in Lyndhurst, Virginia. It is within a few miles of the Appalachian Trail and the Humpback Rocks Trail with views of the valley below. Landyn and Grace were incredible, and both so excited to be there!
Getting Down on One Knee: Proposing at Ravens Roost Overlook
Once we arrived at Ravens Roost Overlook, it was beyond windy which wasn’t something we had expected. Landyn and Grace had to keep a safe distance from the edge because the wind was aggressively moving them everywhere. Since it was still cooler springtime weather, we took a break about every ten minutes and warmed up in the cars!
By the time Landyn knelt down to propose, he actually thought the ring had blown out of the box as he opened it! That’s how windy it was! These two were such troopers the entire time, and the wind just made it more memorable. It also made sense with their love story. Every time they’ve taken some of their favorite photos together, it was insanely windy, so it just seemed meant to be!
They loved this fun unplanned feature to their imperfect day so we just ran with it! The couple’s two best friends also joined us to capture the marriage proposal videos. These helpers made it so much more personal with all the stories they shared about their life together!
Landyn and Grace were so grateful for the planning, secrecy, and the special touch of providing treats for them. I'm beyond grateful that they wanted me to play a part in this incredibly special moment.
