Surprise proposals are always a little nerve wracking to photograph because you really only get one chance to capture the moment.
Now add horses, a private trail ride and a photographer following behind trying not to be seen.
This one took some planning.
Ryan reached out because he wanted to propose to his girlfriend during a private horseback ride in Arizona with MD Ranch. He wanted the proposal itself photographed, but obviously she couldn’t know I was there.
So before the actual proposal, Ryan and I met up to scout the area and figure out exactly how we were going to pull it off.
Planning the Horseback Proposal with MD Ranch
We coordinated with MD Ranch and came up with a plan.
Ryan and his girlfriend would head out on a private horseback ride with their wrangler. I would follow farther behind on another horse with a second wrangler, staying far enough back that she wouldn’t notice me.
Toward sunset, they would stop at a spot we had already picked out, get off their horses and spend some time together on a blanket.
That was my cue to catch up.
I would get off my horse, quietly make my way toward them and wait until Ryan was ready to propose.
It sounded pretty straightforward when we planned it.
Then I got there and realized there was basically nowhere to hide.
Pretending I Was Just a Random Hiker
This was probably my favorite part of the whole plan.
There were no convenient trees or giant rocks for me to disappear behind. I was basically standing out in the open while trying not to look like a photographer who had secretly followed them there on horseback.
So I hid my camera and did my best impression of a completely normal hiker who just happened to be wandering around the exact spot where they had stopped.
Nothing suspicious happening here.
I knew Ryan was going to propose once they stood up, so I waited and tried not to give anything away.
Finally, they got up.
Ryan got down on one knee, I pulled out my camera and all of that planning paid off.
She said yes.
And I could finally stop pretending I was hiking.
Engagement Photos With the Horses
Once the surprise was out, we spent some time taking photos while all of that excitement was still fresh.
We photographed the two of them together and, of course, had to get some photos with the horses too!
Then we got back on the trail.
I photographed parts of their ride from behind, which ended up being such a fun part of the story. They weren’t just photos of the proposal itself. You could actually see the experience Ryan had planned around it.
They started the ride as boyfriend and girlfriend and rode back engaged which was pretty cute.
Turning a Proposal Into an Experience
What I loved about this proposal was that Ryan didn’t just choose a pretty place and get down on one knee.
He planned an experience around something they could do together.
A private horseback ride, time together around sunset and a proposal waiting for her at the end of it.
Working with MD Ranch also meant we could coordinate everything ahead of time. We knew where the proposal would happen, how I could follow without being noticed and how to give Ryan and his girlfriend their own experience while still making sure I was there when it mattered.
Even if the hiding part didn’t go quite as smoothly as I imagined.
If you’re planning a surprise proposal in Arizona and want to make it more of an adventure, horseback riding is such a fun way to do it.
Just make sure your photographer is good at pretending to be a random hiker!
