Pittsburgh Surprise Proposal Photography – Things to Consider When Planning a Proposal

One of my absolute FAVORITE things to photograph are proposals! And when it comes to proposing, most people haven’t done it before. This blog post is meant to accomplish two things: one, to walk through the things that people might not think about considering when it comes to planning a proposal. And two, if you plan on having professional photos taken of your surprise proposal, how to set yourself up to get the best photos possible!

 1. Consider Having a Weather Rain Plan

If you’re from Pittsburgh or have lived here for any length of time, you know how crucial this point is! When planning a proposal in Pittsburgh, it is always important to consider the weather, and to consider having a backup rain plan.

If you’re planning an outdoor proposal, consider having a backup location that is shielded from the rain. This could be somewhere indoors, or an outdoor location that simply has an overhang or something blocking the rain. If you do plan to have an indoor backup location, and you plan to have a professional photographer there, consider talking to them about a location that still has good natural light. While photographers can bring artificial, off camera light to light a location, you will most likely want to keep the element of surprise, and will not want flashes firing, alerting your fiancé-to-be of what’s about to take place.

 There are lots of options to consider that would make excellent backup plans. For example:

• Phipps Conservatory & Botanic Gardens: Did you know that you can rent a private room at Phipps for proposals? It’s true! And what’s great about Phipps is that you are shielded from the rain – and any other type of inclement weather - and there is great natural light. If you don’t want to have to worry about any sort of inclement weather right off the bat, this might be a great route to go in the first place! If you’re interested in renting a room at Phipps for a proposal, click here. And you can click here to view a proposal I’ve photographed at Phipps!

• Mellon Institute: You may have seen the huge Mellon Institute columns in Oakland in a friend’s wedding photos or while driving by – but this spot makes for an excellent backup rain location! The architecture is beautiful and this location has a large area (in the columns!) that is shielded from rain. It’s also free to shoot there!

• The Pennsylvanian Rotunda: Have you seen this place before?! There are few spots more beautiful in Pittsburgh than the rotunda at the Pennsylvanian! This train station turned event space & luxury apartment complex is what photo dreams are made of. You do have to pay to take professional photos in this space - but it meets all of the qualifications of a good rain spot! Covered, access to natural light, and oh-so beautiful. Click here if you’d like to contact them to inquire!

• Coffee shops, bakeries, & restaurants: Many coffee shops and restaurants have large windows that give lots of natural light! If you plan on having the proposal photographed, you may just want to check with the coffee shop/bakery/restaurant ahead of time to make sure they’re okay with a photographer hanging around for a little while!

 2. Time of Day & Location Light

When it comes to photos, light is such an important factor. In fact, I would go as far as to say that good or bad light can make or break a photo! Of course, part of the fun of a proposal is that it’s candid - meaning that it’s usually unstaged and happens on the spot! But there are some things you can take into consideration if you want to have a more “picturesque” proposal!

The best time of day for natural light photography across the board (most of the time!) is 2 hours after sunrise, and 2 hours prior to sunset. Planning a proposal within one of those two time frames might help you have better overall light for photos!

Something else to talk about with your proposal photographer is how the light will look at the time of day at the particular location you chose. If you choose Point State Park fountain in Pittsburgh for your proposal spot, for example, you have a HUGE space to work with with so many different angles and spots to choose from. Your photographer can help give you some suggestions on what side of the fountain might have the best light at the time of day you’ll be proposing, as well as what angle of the fountain would make the best backdrop.

 3. Positioning on one knee

We’ve talked about rain plans, time of day, location, and now we’re here… the big moment - the moment you get down on one knee. What you’ll want to make absolutely sure of is that your photographer knows where you’ll be getting down on one knee so that they can know where to position themselves. If your photographer is in the wrong spot when you take a knee, they might miss the emotion of that special moment – which would totally be the worst! It’s so important to communicate ahead of time and have a plan that you can both be confident in, so you know without a shadow of a doubt that that moment (and the emotions that go along with it!) will be captured from the correct angle!

 4. Knowing Who You Two Are!

Chances are, if I’m photographing a surprise proposal, I’ve never actually met the couple I’m photographing - and I’m sure that’s true for many other proposal photographers. Because of that, I personally always ask for a few photos of my couple so I can pick them out of a crowd (if need be!). As well as a text to let me know that they are on their way to our meeting spot, which leads me to my last point…

 5. Communication

Communication is KEY! If you hire a photographer for your proposal, communicating in advance about where the proposal will be happening, as well as where you’ll actually be proposing, is crucial to the outcome of the images. In addition, it can be helpful to touch base with your photographer when you’re in the vicinity. Personally, I always ask my client who is proposing to shoot me a text to let me know when they arrive to the location, so I know to be looking for them.

For example, for a recent proposal I photographed at Phipps, Nate (who was proposing) sent me a text when he and his girlfriend left their house (about 5/10 minutes from Phipps), and when they arrive at Phipps. That way, I had a couple of minutes to get into position, and then start to watch for intently for them as they made their way to our agreed upon spot.

 6. Keeping Things Secret!

Lots of proposers ask me how I’ll “blend in” and go unnoticed by their soon-to-be fiance while I wait for the big moment. The great thing is, if you choose a public space, I’ll blend right in! With so many hobbyist photographers now-a-days, it’s easy to go unnoticed (or at the very least, blend in with the crowd) while waiting for a proposal to happen. I’ve even went so far as to pretend that I was with a group of tourists (for a proposal on Mount Washington in Pittsburgh) to keep my identity a secret! Overall, choosing a public location for your proposal will help your photographer blend in with the people around them, and keep things secret!

7. Choosing a Public Location vs. a Private Location

Piggy backing off of the last point, you may want to consider how receptive your soon-to-be fiance will be to getting proposed to in a crowd of people vs. in a more secluded/private location. Proposing in a public space will draw attention - which is great for those who love attention! But this method isn’t for everyone. If you feel like your fiance would prefer that moment to be more private and just between the two of you, consider choosing a low foot traffic location, or consider proposing during a time of day where a busy spot might not be so busy (for example, Point State Park in Pittsburgh isn’t as busy in the morning as it is in the evening).

I hope that this blog post was helpful as you prepare to propose to the love of your life! If you’re in need of a surprise proposal photographer in Pittsburgh, I would absolutely LOVE to help you out. Feel free to use the contact tab in the navigation above, or email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com to hear more about the proposal package I offer!

And if you liked this blog post, you might also like…

Shelby & Anthony’s Mount Washington Proposal

Allie & Nate’s Phipps Conservatory Proposal

Tess & Tyler’s Schenley Bridge Proposal

Allie & Nate: Phipp's Conservatory Broderie Room Surprise Proposal

Just in case I’ve never mentioned it here before… surprise proposals are one of my favorite things to photograph! ❤️ And what makes a surprise proposal even better?! When it takes place at Phipp’s Conservatory & Botanic Gardens in the Broderie Room!

One of my favorite things about a surprise proposal is feeling like I’m in on a really great secret… because I totally am! 😉 Even though, most likely, I haven’t met the bride-to-be yet, I know for a fact that she’ll be over-the-moon when she realizes what’s happening… and that it will all be captured photographically! That was a HUGE deal for me when I got engaged (just in case you haven’t seen how Nick proposed to me… click here!), and I treasure the photos and video we have from that day so much, as I know every other bride-to-be will, too!

But back to Allie & Nate! About a month before the proposal, Nate emailed me asking if I would be available to photograph the surprise proposal he had been planning… and thankfully, I was! We touched base a few weeks out from the proposal itself to get a game plan together. I always love having the chance to touch base with grooms-to-be before the proposal itself so we are both on the same page regarding where they will be coming in from, where they will stand, where I will be/what I will be doing, etc. It helps put everyone’s mind at ease!

On the day of the proposal, I woke up to a world of white - even though it was the first week of March, we had gotten at least 4 to 6 inches of snow overnight! Not to mention, it was about 11 degrees outside, so I couldn’t have been more thankful that Nate had decided to propose to Allie inside of Phipp’s Conservatory.

Nate had told Allie that they were going to lunch to celebrate his grandma’s birthday, and suggested stopping at Phipp’s first to enjoy a few moments in the warmth before heading off to lunch nearby. A great cover story, if I do say so myself.

Because Nate had rented a private room (the Broderie Room - probably one of the prettiest in all of Phipp’s!) for the big moment, Phipp’s pretended like the room was closed until Allie & Nate casually walked up - then said that it had just opened (how convenient!). I was in the back area of the picture below pretending to be taking photos of flowers. I watched them out of the corner of my eye as they moved into the Broderie Room, then ran as soon as I saw Nate start to take a knee! And oh, what a sweet moment it was. And how sweet these two are!

After a few moments of shock (and joy!), we were able to jump into a little mini engagement session to capture the joy of that moment and Allie’s gorgeous new ring. And there was so much joy… which is another reason why I love proposals! Genuine, raw emotion.

Allie & Nate, congratulations on your engagement, and thank you so very much for letting me be a part of it!

Interested in booking a room at Phipp’s Conservatory for a photo session? Click here to view information on their website regarding photo sessions! And if you need a photographer, I’d be happy to assist! 😉

Tyler & Tess: Pittsburgh Proposal Photos on the Schenley Bridge

Proposals are some of my favorite sessions EVER to photograph! I love the element of surprise and the sneakiness that goes into them - but more than anything, I love the pure, raw emotion of that always comes out in the joy of the moment!

Tyler had contacted me a few months prior, and detailed his plan for proposing to his girlfriend Tess! He planned a date day, recreating all of the things they had done on their first date around Oakland in Pittsburgh. And, because of Covid, he even had a backup plan for his original plan - smart guy!

But alas, with the uncertainty surrounding Covid, his first plan and his second plan fell through. Instead, he opted for a walk around CMU (plan C!) texted me to see if we were able to move the proposal time up (which we were able to by a half hour - yay for trying to always be early!!!) and his plan to propose to her on the Schenley Bridge came through perfectly!

Proposals in the city are always fun, because I can hide in plain sight! There are always plenty of photographers around the city photographing landscapes - so that was my “disguise!” ;)

After he popped the question, they put a lock on the lock bridge with their names and the date, and had a mini photo session! It was quite cold, so we kept it short… but we were able to get so much variety within such a short amount of time!

Congratulations on your engagement Tyler & Tess! It was such an honor to photograph this sweet moment for you two!!! ❤️

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PS - if you are reading this and are interested in having your own proposal photographed, feel free to fill out the “Contact” form in the upper navigation, or email me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com !

Colleen + Brett: Riverfront Pittsburgh Engagement Photos

Oh my, this was a fun one for so many reasons! I had the pleasure of photographing Colleen and Brett’s engagement photos at two amazing locations (one of which was new to me!): Aspinwall Riverfront Park, and the North Shore!

Colleen and Brett are a laid back couple who were so much fun to photograph! Their whole session felt like we were old friends just hanging out, which made my job so easy!

We started out their session at Aspinwall Riverfront Park in their work outfits. Brett works in law enforcement, Colleen works in the medical field, and they’re both so passionate about what they do for a living! We incorporated Brett’s dog into a few photos, then headed down to the North Shore for some gorgeous golden light and epic bridge photos!

Colleen and Brett - you two are so much fun, and I can’t wait to celebrate you two on your wedding day!! ☺️ Congratulations again on your engagement!

Meghan & Ed: Hartwood Acres Engagement Photos

You might remember these two faces from their Station Square proposal back in May (click here to see!), and if not, allow me to introduce you to Meghan and Ed - two wonderful people who are getting married next year! 🎉

I had the pleasure of photographing Megh and Ed’s surprise proposal, and now, their engagement photos! These two chose Hartwood Acres Mansion, one of my all time favorite spots, as the backdrop for their photos. They also brought along a vintage family heirloom car, which was SO much fun to incorporate into their photos! Meghan wore red to match the car, and Hartwood provided the perfect neutral backdrop for some epic shots!

Meghan and Ed, thank you for the huge honor of walking alongside you two on your journey towards marriage! ☺️ I cannot wait for the wedding!!!

Lis & Naz: Hartwood Acres Anniversary Photos

We met Lis and Naz nearly four years ago at a Pittsburgh wedding networking event - four years later, and they have become some of our dearest friends! Constantly encouraging, ever authentic, and always asking the tough questions that spur growth - these two are a pair to be reckoned with! ✨

Not only are they amazing people individually and an amazing couple collectively, but they are also absolutely INCREDIBLE wedding videographers (if you don’t believe me, just click here!). We teamed up during this session for a couple of mutually beneficial purposes and we were SO excited when the day finally came! We pushed through heavy downpours and a surprise country concert to create these images, and it was so totally worth it! 💛

I could type paragraph upon paragraph depicting all of the characteristics and traits we love about these two, but what it really comes down to is this: we just truly love them! Happy belated anniversary, Lis and Naz!!

How Much Photography Coverage Should I Book for My Wedding Day?

I read an excellent blog post by Pittsburgh wedding blog extraordinaire, Burgh Brides, titled “One Very Important Thing to Consider When Hiring a Wedding Photographer” not too long ago. As a wedding photographer myself, I was immediately curious as to what one thing could refer to. How could there be just one important thing to consider when hiring a wedding photographer?

What I love so much about this article is that in it, Victoria (Burgh Brides creator) talks about how important it is to know how much coverage you’re going to need on your wedding day, and therefore, how many hours you’ll need to book with your photographer, based on your preliminary timeline. It might seem like a far stretch to try and think through your timeline a year to two years before your wedding day actually happens, but having a general idea of when things will be happening will help you make a more educated decision when it comes to the number of hours you’ll actually need! Or, as Victoria puts it:

“When you’re just starting to plan your wedding, a certain number of hours of coverage may seem like enough. Later down the road though, when times are more finalized, you may quickly realize that the package you booked won’t allow for photos of some moments, like your hair and makeup being done or the last dance of the night.”

Thinking about the important points of the day ahead of time - the beginning of the day, the ceremony, and the end of the night - is so important! Below are a few questions I put together to help couples who might be unsure of how much coverage to book get the ball rolling on figuring out a preliminary timeline:

• When will the ceremony take place, and how long will it be? This will be the starting point for figuring out how many hours of coverage before and after the ceremony you’ll need! You might need additional coverage if you’re having a longer ceremony (like a full Catholic mass) opposed to a quick 15 minute outdoor ceremony.

• Do we want to have a “send off” at the end of the reception, and do we want it photographed?

• Will we have a first look? You’ll need more time before the ceremony if you do!

• …or will we opt to have our photos taken during cocktail hour? Make sure you leave enough time for photos during your cocktail hour if you opt to go this route!

• Will we be traveling a lot on the wedding day? More time in the car = less time photo taking time, which means you might have to book additional coverage! For example, if you book 8 hours of coverage with your photographer, but the ride from your getting ready location to the ceremony is 30 minutes, then the ride from your ceremony to your reception is another 30 minutes, that’s a whole hour that your photographer will be driving and not taking photos. So you actually only have 7 hours of coverage, not 8, and might want to consider booking another hour (or two!).

• What is most important to us when it comes to our wedding photos? Maybe it’s portraits of the two of you. Maybe it’s you and your girls getting ready. Maybe it’s your grandma dancing at your reception! Or maybe you really want to make sure you have epic detail photos of your dress, invitation suite, and rings. Know what’s important to you, and then ask your photographer how much time they think they’ll need to capture those important parts of your day! Here’s a sample timeline I made for my couples to help them figure out how much time to allot for each part of their day!

With all of that in mind, check out one of the best timeline graphics I have ever seen (thank you SRW Joyce)! This graphic lays out the typical events of the wedding day, along with an estimate to the left of the events of how much coverage you’ll typically need to capture those consecutive parts of the day.

Graphic representation thanks to SRW Joyce

And if you’re looking for an estimate of what the majority of couples choose for their coverage, based on the weddings I’ve photographed, most couples choose packages with 8 to 10 hours of consecutive coverage. Most couples who choose 8 hours are not traveling between different locations on their wedding day. Couples who are traveling between different locations (getting ready to ceremony, or ceremony to reception, or ceremony to a photo location, or all of the above) almost always end up booking at least 9 to 10 hours of coverage!

If you’re a bride who’s unsure of how many hours of coverage you should book, or a bride thinks she might need a few extra hours of coverage, I’d be happy to help! Feel free to reach out to me directly at jhidingerphotography@gmail.com (or via the contact tab in the top navigation) for a second opinion!

A huge thanks to Victoria from Burgh Brides for writing such an epic article! 💛 If you’re a bride in the Pittsburgh area looking for wedding inspiration, I highly recommend checking out the Burgh Brides blog!

And until next time - happy planning!

3 Ways to Get the Most out of Your Wedding Photography Investment

The definition of “investment,” according to Google, is a “thing that is worth buying because it may be profitable or useful in the future,” as well as “an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.”

If there’s one thing in relation to your wedding day that you’ll spend money on that could be seen as an investment, per the definition above, I think wedding photography would be it! Wedding photos are one of the few things you’ll have left from your wedding day that will allow you to re-experience everything that happened on your wedding day - the emotions, the joy, the tears, and even the decor and details that you put so much thought and love into! And most importantly, your photos will let you experience the beginning of a new adventure with your now-spouse!

As a wedding photographer, if you’re one of my brides (or considering becoming one of my brides! 😉) one of the most important things to me is that you get the most out of your investment. But how, exactly, can you maximize your investment? I’m all about practical steps, so below, I’m sharing three practical ways to maximize your wedding photography investment and get the most ‘bang for your buck’ (one of my mom’s favorite sayings!) when it comes to your wedding photos!

1.     Have all of your wedding events in the same location… or at least within close proximity.

Having all of your wedding events in the same central location has some major benefits! Going from location to location takes time, which will eat into your wedding day photography coverage. For example, many brides book between 8 to 10 hours of “continuous” wedding day coverage, meaning that if your coverage begins at 12PM, it will end at 8PM, regardless of what events happen during that timeframe, whether ther e are events for your photographer to take photos of or not. If you book 8 hours of wedding day coverage, but are driving between different locations (getting ready location, ceremony location, photo location, and reception), and all are about 20 minutes from each other, that’s 60 minutes of wedding day coverage you’re paying for that your photographer is not taking photos during! However, if you book 8 hours of coverage and do not have to travel between locations, you’ll actually get the full worth of your 8 hour coverage investment!

2.     Ask your photographer how much time to leave for photos… then plan for that amount of time!

A full time wedding photographer will typically photograph anywhere from 20 to 40 weddings each year, dealing with and planning the logistics of each of those weddings. If you’re planning a wedding, you’re more than likely pretty brand-spanking-new to this, and you’ve probably never had to think about things like how long you should leave for things like family photos, bridal party portraits, and/or photos of you with your new spouse on your wedding day! Lucky for you, your photographer has ample amounts of experience in this area – so be sure to ask for their help when planning your timeline! As photographers, we want you to ask for our help, because we want to make sure we have enough time to take the dreamy wedding photos you’ve always wanted!

3.     Sneak out during your reception for some sunset photos or epic night shots!

Once the reception gets going, it can be fun to leave the party for a few minutes to get just a few more photos of you with your new spouse! I usually consider this not only “bonus” portrait time, but time for my couples to have a few minutes to themselves. And I’ve never had a couple tell me that they regretted leaving their reception for a few additional photos, whether it be an epic night photo or a few “golden hour” (or sunset) portraits! Many of these photos end up being my favorites (and my couples favorites!) from the entire day.

All of the photos in the slideshow below were taken during “bonus” portrait time!

Happy planning, friends!

Jenna

My Biggest Hang Up with First Looks

There are SO many reasons to love first looks. That intimate moment between just the bride and groom before the ceremony?! It’s almost always my favorite moment of a wedding day! My husband will sometimes photograph weddings with me, and every time we photograph a wedding with a first look, he inevitably will turn to me and say: “I wish we would’ve done one of these!”

THE DILEMA

Yes, first looks are amazing, intimate, and can be really helpful from a timeline perspective if there isn’t quite enough time for photos between the ceremony and reception, or if you want to attend your cocktail hour (click here to read an article I wrote about the pros of having a first look!) – but I do have one pretty big beef with first looks, and it’s something that I don’t see many people talking about.

The light.

Because first looks happen before a wedding ceremony, most of them take place around lunchtime, or when the sun is highest in the sky. And if you’re getting married on a farm in the middle of July with a first look at noon… the light (unless it’s an overcast day!) has the potential to be pretty harsh, and sometimes, quite unflattering. And if you opt to have all of your photos taken before the ceremony, all of those photos you’ve seen with glowy, soft light with a bride and groom frolicking through a field… they’re not really attainable. Because it’s just too bright. Those photos with glowing, golden sunlight are taken a few hours before the sun sets (or a few hours after the sun rises).

WHAT TO DO?

Well, first, I’m going to let you in on a little secret – just between you and me. A lot of wedding photographers love first looks because, the majority of the time, there is not enough time allotted between the ceremony and reception for us to get all of the photos we need to. So, when the photos of the bride & groom, bridal party, and sometimes even the immediate family happen before the ceremony, things are a bit more relaxed, because there is more time. And that’s what we want for you most – for you to be able to enjoy your day without being rushed!

Most couples don’t allot enough time for photos because A) they don’t want to make their guests wait too long, or B) the venue told them they have an hour between the ceremony and reception for photos. And, trust me - I believe those are completely understandable reasons to be cautious about the amount of time you allot for!

But let me tell you something, friends. This day happens once for you. And you are investing in these photos. And you know that saying about how “good things take time”? Well, the same goes for wedding photos, which also take time! (If you’re wondering how much time you should allot for photos, for a sample timeline, click here!) I like to suggest leaving at least a full hour and a half (not including travel time) just for bride and groom, bridal party, and family photos (or about a half hour for each… if not more!).

THE BOTTOM LINE

The key is: whatever you choose to do, make sure you leave enough time for your photos. That’s it! If you choose to have a first look, amazing! If you choose to forgo a first look and have the majority of photos taken between the ceremony and reception, that’s great! But don’t be afraid to plan for an extended cocktail hour (i.e., a cocktail hour longer than an hour) so that you can get the photos you’ve always dreamed of!

 Happy planning!

Why I Blog the Majority of my Client Sessions

One of the biggest questions I get from other photographers is: how do you make the time to blog so many of your sessions and weddings?

Even though the question might be asked as a “how?” I’ve found the ability to remain consistent with my blogging in my “why.” Keeping my why(s) at the forefront of my attention when it comes to blogging has allowed me to continue to blog my sessions consistently for almost four straight years.

 If you’re looking for a how, I challenge you to first redefine your why behind blogging. Below are four of the top reasons why I continue to blog almost every senior, family and wedding!

1.     Blogging makes clients feel important and loved.

How do I know this? Because I have been the person on the receiving end of photos (and blog posts!). When our engagement photos, wedding photos, and anniversary photos were blogged – I felt SO excited and honored that my photographer thought they were worthy of being shared! I know that quite a few JHP clients feel the same way, because they’ve literally gone out of their way to tell me so!

2.     It’s an easy way to share the “highlights” with their friends and family!

Scrolling through a dozen (or a few dozen) images in a blog post is quicker and easier than looking through a gallery of a few hundred images. Not to mention, friends and family members could be potential customers who might need their photo taken someday! I like to view each of my blog posts as a mini portfolio that has the potential to reach the friends and family of whoever is in the blog post in a more personal way.

3.     It allows clients to see the best (or my favorite!) images first, (hopefully) making them more excited!

A blog post should include the best of the best, telling the story of a wedding day or a session. Seeing the very best of their gallery first heightens their excitement to see the rest of the gallery and sets a positive tone from the get-go!

4.     It helps with SEO and with getting people to your website!

I’m no expert on SEO, but what I do know is this: Google likes new content, and a blog post is a great way to add new content to my website! Sharing client sessions is a great way to build SEO for your local area and (hopefully!) get more clients who are looking for a similar service/product!

If you are looking to start blogging more, my encouragement to you would be to start small. Don’t feel like you have to start blogging all of your sessions at once with multiple blog posts per week. Start with one every week, and then increase your consistency as you start to find a rhythm that feels right for you. Remember: “The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.”

I’m rooting for you!