Nashville Proposal Photos with a Hot Air Balloon
The story of a sunrise hot air balloon proposal outside of Nashville, TN…
Hudson’s girlfriend, Rachel, had mentioned to him on a trip that she’d like to go on a hot air balloon ride someday. Not too long after, he bought the ring and began planning - that’s when he reached out to me, the photographer.
Everyone showed up to the meeting location before the sun was up on a September Saturday. Rachel, “having been given a free hot air balloon experience” from her boss, was there with her boyfriend. My husband and I “just happened” to be there the same morning, taking photo and video footage of the company setting up, under the guise that it was for marketing purposes.
When the code phrase was used, we pivoted and got into position as Hudson prepared to go down on one knee. As for the rest of the story… the photos do a pretty good job of telling it…
Photos from a Nashville TN Proposal
If you’re planning a proposal in Nashville TN, this is an adventurous option!
The moment! These are some of my favorite digital photos from this hot air balloon proposal.
I focused on capturing the initial proposal moment on digital, while my husband was shooting film. For such a once-in-a-lifetime moment, we wanted to make sure we caught the moment with digital, just in case something went wrong with the film we were shooting.
These are some of my favorite 35mm film photos from the proposal!
We shot a combination of color and black and white film, and both turned out beautifully! Film is such a timeless art form, and we love documenting love stories with it! We used Kodak Ultramax pushed to 800, and Ilford HP5 pushed to 1,600 to photograph this proposal.
Hot air balloon proposal video:
My husband had brought his video camera as part of the ruse to fool Rachel and we weren’t hired for video, but between the video footage he got of the company setting up the hot air balloon, and then setting his camera aside on a tripod while we took photos, he wound up with a full-fledged engagement video! Safe to say, I think we will have video as an add-on option for all engagement shoots now. :)
Tips for how to plan your proposal:
Tailor it to what you both love, or incorporate something meaningful
Pick a place that you’ll be comfortable - if neither of you like crowds, do it in a more intimate setting
If you're going to be proposing outdoors, have a backup plan in case of bad weather
Don’t be afraid to write down and read what you want to say. If you have a lot you want to convey, this makes it easier. It’s also a special memento that you can give to your fiancé afterward
If you’re trying to do something grand, get others involved! Having a friend, coworker or family member to help make it happen can make it a much more enjoyable experience for you