Orlando Proposal Photographer
One of my favorite surprise proposals to capture as an Orlando photographer is on the specialty boat cruise at Walt Disney World! I have captured the fireworks from Epcot and Magic Kingdom countless times, but I’m not sure anything beats the experience of watching the show from the water. There are zero crowds to contend with (which is literally unheard of at Disney!) so it’s ideal for couples who prefer a private setting. The view of the fireworks from Seven Seas Lagoon facing Main Street is unmatched and the music plays real-time through the boat speaker for the full experience. So romantic!
For this special proposal, Dan contacted me via text message about three weeks before to discuss the process of photographing this magical moment for him and Megan. He had already reached out to Disney to book the fireworks cruise and had the date reserved so he just needed a photographer as the last piece. Having captured a ton of surprise proposals all over Disney and Orlando I was more than happy to help!
Nighttime proposals can admittedly be a little tricky even for seasoned photographers. Being on a pontoon boat also presents a unique challenge because space is limited to move around and the boat is always slightly rocking. Thankfully I have shot a TON of these and I have my process totally dialed in to get a beautiful result every single time. I also have the fireworks show memorized so I know exactly how much time I have to work with and how the show is going to unfold. ;) I’m literally a fireworks expert at this point. It’s definitley one of the most fun moments for me to capture as a professional photographer.
On the night of the proposal, I met Dan & Megan at 6:45pm at the Grand Floridian Marina and boarded the boat along with them as their photographer. They were both expecting me in this case as it’s not unusual to have photographers available for different occasions at Disney. We got so lucky to be able to see the first full moon of 2024 over the water during the first part of the tour. We also got to see the monorail pass directly over us on the waterway which I am convinced is good luck. When the fireworks show started, I directed them on exactly where to stand to get the most amazing photos. Once he was ready, Dan got down on one knee and asked Megan to join him in their happily ever after and as you can guess– she said YES.
After the moment was over and they had wiped their tears of joy, I guided them through a few more cute poses to really take advantage of the amazing backdrop. I also got a nice close up of her incredible pear shaped engagement ring (obsessed!) and a few fun photos with the Mickey treats that are included in the cruise after they disembarked. I am always honored to be entrusted with such a special moment and I really love how their photos turned out! Although the experience lasted 2 hours, the fireworks show is only 18 minutes long and I still delivered a whopping 141 total images in their final gallery. Ayyyyeee!! *brushes off shoulders* 😎 Below are just a handful of my favorite shots– enjoy!
Looking to plan your picture perfect Disney fireworks proposal?
We have a proposal photography collection especially for fireworks cruise engagements. Contact Elle, your top rated Orlando proposal photographer for all the details!