Surprise Proposal Photos in Old Town Fort Collins
Ready to plan a surprise proposal?
This is such an exciting moment, but it also requires extra planning and prep to ensure that it stays a secret and goes off without a hitch—so that your partner never suspects a thing.
The best surprise proposals, like Atlas and Monique’s engagement, are well thought out. I recently had the chance to photograph Atlas (they/them) and Monique (she/her) and their surprise proposal in Old Town Fort Collins. Monique never even suspected what was happening, which made photographing this moment even more special and unforgettable.
Let’s dive into how to plan to pop the question and how to get surprise proposal photos, along with real-life inspiration, as you figure out and finalize the details for your own proposal.

How to Plan a Surprise Proposal
Your partner knows you better than anyone else, so pulling off a surprise proposal requires some out-of-the-box thinking. I wouldn’t recommend crafting some elaborate lie (they’ll likely see right through it) or doing something they wouldn’t view as ordinary behavior on your part.
Here are my top tips on how you can pull off a surprise proposal:
Pick a meaningful location
You want to pick a location that won’t raise too much suspicion.
It’s probably not the best idea for this moment to pick a really luxurious, fancy restaurant you’ve never been to or a place you wouldn’t typically frequent together if you want to ensure that you keep your proposal a secret.
I would encourage you instead to pick a place where you enjoy spending time together. Make sure that it’s significant for both of you — whether that’s a coffee shop you always go to, a place where you went on one of your favorite dates together, a viewpoint on a hike you both love, an activity you both enjoy, etc.
Keep it simple
In my opinion, the simpler, the better. You don’t have to make your proposal overly complicated – no matter what, this moment will be incredibly meaningful to you and your partner.
It really doesn’t have to be a lavish event or one where you feel like you have to come up with some complex cover story. You will be extremely nervous about this, and the last thing you want to do is remember all of the intricate details of what you told your partner.
We’re not trying to be secret agents here. Just plan something that will create a great memory that you and your partner can look back on.
Keeping things simple will take one more thing off your plate and make keeping the secret so much easier—especially if you’re doing something that doesn’t feel too out of the ordinary for either of you when you pop the question.
Don’t be overly insistent on dressing up
I totally get that you want to look great for your photos, but remember that this is just the proposal. You’ll have an entire engagement session where you can dress to the nines or wear whatever you want.
For the proposal itself, you don’t want to push really hard for them to dress a certain way. This may give away that what you’re doing may not be the whole story.
If you’re planning to go out to dinner and propose you could always suggest that you both dress up. Or if it’s normal for you both to dress up for a date, you can treat it just like any other date night.
Just be mindful of not being too insistent about dressing up and instead embrace a flexible and casual attitude to keep the proposal a surprise.
Find a photographer
A surprise proposal isn’t the same as an engagement session – it’s much better to find someone with experience that you’re confident in.
Why? You want to make sure that your partner doesn’t catch on that there’s someone with you taking pictures, and you want to make sure that your photographer is capable of capturing your photos seemingly out of nowhere.
Luckily, I’ve captured many surprise proposal photos and have some tricks up my sleeve for planning one – so you can count on me to make sure that your own will be a success!
Discuss your proposal plans with your photographer
Once you’ve found your photographer, make sure that you both go over the game plan, where your photographer needs to be, and when they need to be there.
It’s also a great idea to have some sort of secret sign you’re going to give them so that they know when the moment is right. While we may be magicians behind the lens, we can’t actually read minds, so we need to know when you will get down on one knee.
Knowing all the details in advance also lets us be as unobtrusive as possible so that you can both feel well-prepared for the big moment.
Don’t get too many other people involved
The fewer people that know about the proposal, the better. Of course, your parents and your partner’s parents usually know about the proposal beforehand, but outside of your close, trusted confidants, it’s best not to let too many people know what you’re planning.
No matter how much you want to share this news with others, they could easily let something slip or accidentally reveal your plans. I’m sure we have all seen the stories about people talking about the proposal or the “special event” you’re going to and completely giving away what is actually going to happen.
Atlas and Monique: Surprise Proposal Photos in Old Town Fort Collins
Atlas reached out to me to capture their proposal to their partner, Monique.
They had seen an artisans market in Old Town Fort Collins and knew that’s where they wanted to propose to Monique. They love going to markets like this together, so this was the perfect way to ensure that Monique wasn’t suspicious of what was happening.
Even though it was a bit of a last-minute plan, Atlas and I worked together to devise the perfect plan for their surprise proposal. They were also really excited to work with a queer, neurodivergent person of color as their photographer, and it really created a one-of-a-kind moment for them.
Atlas and I instantly hopped on a call and started to create our master plan for pulling off this surprise proposal. Here’s how it played out:
Step 1: Decoys
We wanted to come up with a plausible reason why I was at the market and just happened to be “around” with a camera. The perfect way to do this was with a few decoy models.
We picked a designated starting point for us to be at, and as they casually walked through the market, I “photographed” my models while actually snapping pictures of them the entire way.
Step 2: The proposal destination
Once they had made it through the market, we had them end at a super cute alley we had picked out beforehand. This made it really easy for us to be on the same page and for me to make sure that I knew exactly where the question would be popped.
Step 3: The signal
This was a really important step in the process. Atlas and I decided they would give Monique a long, tight hug right before getting down on one knee.
Step 4: The proposal
I was still just around photographing my decoy couple, and as soon as I saw that hug, I was locked and loaded. As they were kneeling down to ask the question, I sprinted down the alley for the perfect angle to capture the moment.
Not only did they have their perfect proposal in a space that was really meaningful to them, but we were also able to capture it beautifully. The plans that Atlas and I had made beforehand went off without a hitch, creating a really special memory for them.
After the proposal, we walked around Old Town and took some more photos before heading to Funkwerks Brewery for a few more shots and some celebratory drinks.
We got to talking, and Monique told us that she noticed me taking photos throughout the market but just assumed I was photographing the decoy couple, so the plan was an absolute success.
The proposal and the entire day were such beautiful times for these two. There were tears of joy, lots of hugs and kisses, and, of course, calls to their families to tell them the good news.
I really loved that they both gave each other space to fully experience everything that was happening at that moment. They were able to be present and talk about everything that just happened to really soak in how special this truly was.
Ready to plan your surprise proposal?
I hope you found this helpful as you plan out your own surprise proposal.
Try not to stress too much about this moment – no matter what, your partner isn’t going to be able to decipher everything you have planned, even if they figure out some of what’s going on. Remember what’s most important – this is an exciting, celebratory milestone marking the beginning of a new chapter in your relationship!
And… if you’re still looking for the perfect photographer to take your surprise proposal photos, I’d love to talk. You can learn more about my services here or contact me here.